Nil Desperandum
by Ariana Black
Summary: Finally updated! Harry is still being a git, Ginny tells him off again, and Malfoy comes to a realization
1. Recognition

A/N- Okay, let's see, I should probably give you a summary of this story, huh? Basically, James wasn't the only Marauder who had a wife and child, but no one ever knew about little Perdita. She was born after her father died, and her mother fled to France and cut contact with her last living friend, Remus. What adventures will await Perdita, however, when she goes to live in England, and meets Harry and the gang. The idea for this story mostly came as a protest to all the stories I saw about Sirius or Remus having a son or daughter. I have a lot planned for this story though, so I hope you'll like it. The title is Latin, and cookie points will be given to anyone who can figure out what it means in English.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The day gave no indication that it would be unusual in any way. Quite the contrary, in fact. The day seemed to be perfectly normal to a young woman by the name of Kassia. She was walking through the marketplace, doing her normal Sunday shopping. Her daughter, Perdita, was visiting a friend and wouldn't be back for a few hours. It wasn't often that Kassia had a day off all to herself. She had to work two jobs in order to support herself and her daughter. Especially since Perdita was attending Beauxbatons. Madame Maxime provided students with an excellent education, but it certainly wasn't cheap. Or maybe it just seems that way because we have so little, thought Kassia.  
  
She pushed these unhappy thoughts from her mind however, and continued her shopping. She was known to most of her usual vendors. Jacques, the baker in the village, always had her bread prepared for her by the time she showed up. He was one of the few people who had been here ever since she had first moved to France. He had always been more than helpful when she fell on hard times and wasn't able to afford food for her daughter and her.  
  
"Bonjour, Kassia." Jacques smiled, handing her usual package of bread to her.  
  
"Good morning, Jacques. How is Brigitte?" Kassia smiled.  
  
"Just fine. The kids have her running around all day, but she manages." Jacques smiled. "Is Perdita out of school now?"  
  
"Yes. She just got home a few days ago."  
  
"Ah, you should have told me. I'd have included something special for the little one."  
  
"That's really not necessary, Jacques." she smiled.  
  
"No, no. I insist." he said kindly, looking around behind his stand. "Ah, here we go. Éclairs. I know they're her favorite."  
  
"Thank you, Jacques. You're far too nice to us." Kassia smiled.  
  
"Think nothing of it, Kassia. She's as dear to me as my own children are." Jaques smiled back, nearly forcing the éclairs into Kassia's hands. Of course, he had known Perdita practically all her life too.  
  
"You are still far too kind." Kassia said, counting out extra money for the eclairs.  
  
"Oh no you don't." he said, seeing her do so. "They're free."  
  
"Jacques..." Kassia began to protest.  
  
"If you argue, I'm giving you the whole lot for free." he smiled, wagging a playful finger at her. Kassia laughed, knowing she wouldn't win.  
  
"All right, all right." she smiled, giving him money for just the bread. "I'll see you next week."  
  
"Good-bye, Jacques." she called as she walked on.  
  
Kassia noted an old woman selling some beautiful roses at a stand a little farther on. I'll have to buy some of those on my way home, she thought. They're Perdita's favorites. Her daughter had just returned a few days ago for the summer holidays. Kassia always missed her terribly when she was away at school. The house seemed so lonely without her. Her daughter was everything in the world to her, and Kassia was pretty much the only family Perdita had, outside of her grandmother. Kassia had fled to France not long after her husband was murdered. They had lived in a small town on the outskirts of Paris ever since. She hadn't fled out of fear for her life or anything; it wasn't that. She wasn't afraid of her husband's murderer finding her; he had been caught the same day her husband had died. No, she had left because London held too many memories. She hadn't even known when he died that she was pregnant. But she had been left to raise her daughter alone.  
  
Stop it, Kassia, she ordered herself as she stopped at her usual fruit stand. You know you always make yourself cry when you think about this stuff. You'd think, after fourteen years, you would have moved on by now. But just think how much more painful things would be if you had stayed in London. Kassia had just finished buying fruit and was turning to go back home, when her quiet, normal Sunday suddenly changed to incredibly unusual.  
  
There he was, walking out of a small cafe with two other men, as though it were an everyday occurrence. But...how could it be him? He was dead. The man looked too much like her husband for it not to be him. But surely that was impossible. He was dead. And yet, there he was. Alive and well. Older, but most certainly alive. The man tugged at his ear, the way her husband always had when he was nervous. He had the same scar above his eyebrow from a Potions accident in their third year. It had to be him. She didn't recognize the other two men with him, but she didn't care. He was alive!  
  
"Peter!" she cried, trying to run to him. But the thick crowd prevented her. She started trying to push her way to him. "Peter!"  
  
Across the marketplace, her cries failed to reach Peter's ears. They did, however, reach the ears of the one man they shouldn't have. Lucius Malfoy turned to see a young woman with reddish blond hair calling out Pettigrew's name and fighting her way through the crowd. Damn him, thought Lucius. Pettigrew's gone and gotten himself recognized again. The idiot. Thinking quickly, he told Pettigrew to return to where Lord Voldemort was and tell him they had been delayed. Not daring to question him, Peter obeyed Lucius' order without a second thought. He ducked into an alleyway and Disapparated, never seeing or hearing the woman who was fighting so hard to get to him. Lucius turned to the other man that was with them.  
  
"Mac Nair." he hissed. "That woman recognized Pettigrew. Follow her home and eliminate her. No one can know he's alive."  
  
"With pleasure." Mac Nair replied sinisterly.  
  
"I'll return to the Dark Lord. I doubt he'll be pleased with Pettigrew about this."  
  
He was gone. People passed in front of Kassia, and when they had gone, she could see no trace of the three men. Her heart sank. He was gone. Who knew if she would ever see him again? If you really had seen him, she thought. It's entirely possible you were seeing things. He's dead, after all. But I was so sure. Sadly, she took one last look at the spot she had last seen him before turning down the street that would lead her home. She never saw the man in the shadows who was following her.  
  
Should I tell Perdita, she wondered as she let herself in the front door of their little cottage. She'd never kept anything about her father from her. Perdita knew almost everything about her father, even though she had never met him. Perdita reminded Kassia so much of Peter. They both had the same gentle and caring nature. Both of them were so quiet, even around people they knew well. She smiled sadly, thinking of him again. He had always been so kind to her, always putting her needs above his own. They were alike in many ways, her and Peter. They had both been the quiet shy ones in their year. But she had no time to dwell on this. I can't keep thinking about him, not now, she thought. She concentrated on fixing dinner, glancing at the clock occasionally. Perdita would be home any minute. Kassia had already made up her mind to tell Perdita what had happened. Perdita was really the only one she had to talk to these days. Outside of her mother of course, but she still lived in England.  
  
What she didn't know was that she wouldn't have a chance. She heard the front door crash open. Kassia walked into the living room, thinking it might be her daughter. Instead she saw a large, fierce looking man standing there. It was one of the men she had seen in the marketplace earlier, with her husband. She gave a startled cry and ran for the back door. He chased her and easily caught up with her before she could get there.  
  
"Crucio!" he roared.  
  
She collapsed to the ground, cutting her forehead on the corner of the kitchen table as she did so, cringing in pain. She lay there helplessly after he had ended the curse, still shaking from the pain. He kicked her as she lay there, enjoying the cry of pain she uttered.  
  
"What do you want?" she managed to ask. He bent down and hit her across the face. Bruises were already forming.  
  
"Your death will suffice." he smirked.  
  
"No, please." she begged.  
  
"Crucio!" he shouted again. Her screams filled the still air.  
  
Much as he would have liked to torture her more, he had very little time. He had to kill her quickly and get away before someone caught him. Aiming his wand at her, a beam of dark blue light shot from the tip and went right through her heart. Kassia felt as though a sword had just run through her; exactly what the curse had just done. Not as effective as the Killing Curse, but much harder to trace. She felt her blood beginning to pool around her. Mac Nair smirked down at her. He raised his arm and shouted Morsmorde. It was then that she saw the skull tattoo on his forearm. He was a Death Eater, she realized in horror. He Disapparated seconds later.  
  
Perdita walked along the road, humming happily. It was nearly sunset, but her mother never worried about her being late. It was a perfectly safe little Muggle town. Or so she thought. Perdita had just turned the corner, onto the street her house was on, when something caught her attention. Hovering in the sky above her house was a glittering green skull with a serpent for a tongue. She saw, also, that the front door had been completely blown away. Immediately, Perdita ran down the road and into what remained of her house.  
  
"Mom!" she shouted, panic stricken. "Mom?! Where are you? Are you okay?"  
  
She rushed through the living room and into the kitchen. That was where she found her mother, laying in a pool of blood, barely alive. Perdita gasped in horror and ran to her mother's side, ignoring the blood that was soaking into her clothes now.  
  
"Mom." she sobbed, lifting up her mother's head. Her face was bruised terribly, and there was a large gash through her chest. "Mama, what happened?"  
  
"Death Eater." she choked out. She gasped for breath, fighting to stay alive.  
  
"Mama, please, don't die." Perdita begged. "Don't leave me."  
  
"I love you, Perdita." she coughed, reaching up to touch her face. Her hand was trembling.  
  
"Mama, don't go." she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. She held her mother's hand to her face, her vision blurred by tears. "Please, stay with me."  
  
"Perdita...Peter..." she coughed, trying to tell her daughter before it was too late.  
  
"What about Dad?" she asked. She couldn't understand her.  
  
"Peter...alive.Death Eater...Peter..." she mumbled incoherently. She's hallucinating, Perdita thought. But she had no chance to ask her mother what she meant. Kassia drew one last shuddering breath and her heart beat for the last time. Perdita felt her hand go limp against her face.  
  
"Mom? Mama?" Perdita asked frantically. But no reply came. "No! Mama, please, say something. Don't leave me. Wake up. Mama, please!"  
  
But, deep down, she knew her mother was gone. Perdita leaned over and cried against her mother, not caring about anything else. She hardly noticed when Aurors from the French Ministry of Magic arrived. She was mentally and physically numb. She didn't fight as they gently pulled her away from her dead mother. She just kept crying and calling for her mother. Perdita couldn't answer any of their questions or tell them what had happened; she only kept sobbing uncontrollably. Eventually, fearing she may become hysterical, the Aurors decided it was kindest to give her a mild sleeping potion. Even as Perdita sank into a dreamless sleep, she kept calling for the mother she would never see again. 


	2. The Newcomer to Mrs Figg's

A/N-  Here we go, I finally finished the next chapter.  I'm glad everyone seems to like it so far, I've been wanting to do this story for a while.  If Sirius and Rmeus can have children in other people's stories, why can't Peter have a daughter?  We'll find out more details about Peter and Kassia's marriage later on, but for now the focus is going to be on Perdita.  Sirius and Remus will be making an appearance later too.  And no one has guessed what Nil Desperandum means in Latin yet, so the contest is still going.  Whoever guesses correctly will get a free preview of a later chapter as a reward :)  Oh, and I meant to put this in the first chapter, but I'd like to thank my friends Ayla Lupin and Ameena Raynor for all their help with this story, for helping me work out the plot, betaing the chapters, and for just plain putting up with my talking about this idea for so long.  Thanks guys!

And now, to answer the reviews!

Cerridwen- Don't worry, I plan on keeping this story going.  I'm hoping the French I use in the later stories is accurate.  The only French I know comes from an online translation site, so hopefully it will be accurate.  Glad you like it so far though! 

Paige- Yeah, I'm finally doing a story that has absolutely nothing to do with my Ariana series, it's a miracle!  Peter's going to have an interesting role later on in the story too, so his brief appearance in the first chapter isn't his only one :)

Sabrina Potter- Hehe, you know me, I love doing weird stuff.  And knowing me, you'll already know there's gonna be a bunch of plots twists and cliffes :)

Ginger Twist- Aww, thank you.  I'm glad you liked it so much.  This chapter isn't quite as emotional, but I still think its good.  Hope you like it! 

Spookykat- Thanks, I'm trying very hard to keep my charecters from being mistaken for Mary Sues.  I personally think they are evil, and am trying to keep Perdita as far from perfect as possible.  I hope you like this next chapter too! 

Ayla Lupin- I figured Peter needed a family, which makes him betraying the Potters even more interesting, since he had a wife he just abandoned by faking his death.  Of course, you know more about the plot than almost anyone, but I know you still love reading it :)

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"Wake up, Boy!" Aunt Petunia shouted, pounding on Harry's bedroom door.  Harry woke with a start.

"Mrrfl?" he asked groggily, rolling over and opening his eyes.

"I said get up!" she shouted through the door. "Get downstairs and start fixing the breakfast!"

            Another lovely day on Privet Drive, Harry thought bitterly.  The last thing he wanted to see in the morning was Dudley chowing down like a pig on breakfast.  Harry sometimes wondered: if Dudley's breakfast weren't on time, would he start eating the table?  That mental picture managed to make Harry smile a bit as he got dressed.  He ran a comb through his hair, not that it ever did any good, then hurried downstairs.  If there was one thing he wasn't willing to do, it was incur the wrath of Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon this early in the morning.  Though, considering everything that had happened to him the previous school year, that might be a welcome change.  He just had a few more days until he would be going to the Weasleys for the rest of the summer, and he was determined not to do anything that would jeopardize this.  Even if he knew full well that there would be no way for the Dursleys to stop him if the Weasleys were coming to get him.

            As usual, the Dursleys basically ignored Harry as he walked around the kitchen, fixing their breakfast.  Dudley was still on his diet, not that it had really been doing him much good.  It seemed like Dudley was still gaining weight, no matter how much Aunt Petunia monitored his diet.  For breakfast today, they were having pineapple slices.  Harry was amazed they actually trusted him with a knife to cut it up.  Lately, they had been treating him as though he really _did_ go to St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.  In fact, they were going to London today and leaving him at Mrs. Figg's, since they apparently didn't trust him alone in the house all day.  Harry had barely finished eating when they were ordering him around again.

"Get out in the garden and start weeding." Uncle Vernon barked. "You'd better be done by the time we're ready to leave."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Harry sighed, already getting up from the table.  Just a few more days, he thought.  Just a few more days.

            Actually, he was almost glad to be outside.  So far this summer, he had been given so many chores to do indoors that he had hardly seen the sun at all.  It was nice to breathe fresh air again.  Harry stood outside for a moment, simply letting the sun warm his skin.  It was a perfect day, even if he did have to spend it weeding the garden.  Sighing a bit, Harry knelt down in the garden and began pulling weeds.  What I wouldn't give to see a gnome right now, he thought with a laugh.  That would certainly add some excitement.  After a while, he started to feel like someone was watching him.  He turned towards the hedges and saw a small pair of bright, ocean blue eyes watching him from within the leaves.  They suddenly became very wide and disappeared as the owner turned and ran.  Harry got to his feet, trying to see who it was, but they were gone too quickly.

"That was a bit unnerving." Harry thought to himself.  Who had been watching him?  Though it had spooked him a bit, Harry didn't feel the person was a threat.  It had probably just been a neighborhood kid he hadn't recognized.

"Boy!  We're leaving!" Uncle Vernon roared from the back porch a few hours later.  Harry took that to mean that he was supposed to go over to Mrs. Figg's now.  Sighing, Harry began walking to her house.  He briefly considered not going at all, but figured if he didn't show up, she would tell the Dursleys, and Harry didn't want to imagine what would happen then.  He'd just have to deal with her cabbage-smelling house, and the swarm of cats that lived there.  

            Harry sighed as he walked to Mrs. Figg's house.  He wasn't really looking forward to this.  True, she no longer made him look at the pictures of every cat she had ever owned in her life, but her house still wasn't really the place he wanted to spend his whole afternoon.  He would have rather just stayed alone at the Dursleys' house, but that wasn't an option.  He didn't have anything against Mrs. Figg, he just wasn't very eager to spend the day at her house, where the only company he had was a woman who was probably four times his age.  Of course, he didn't exactly get a choice in the matter.

            When he knocked on the door however, it wasn't old Mrs. Figg that answered.  Instead, Harry was greeted by a small blond haired girl peeking at him from around the corner of the door.  She stared at him curiously, as though she didn't trust him.  He'd never seen her around the neighborhood before.  What was she doing at Mrs. Figg's?

"May I 'elp you?" she asked, in a quiet, almost frightened tone.  Harry noticed right away she had a pronounced French accent, making him even more curious as to who she was and how she knew Mrs. Figg.

"It's all right, Perdita." Mrs. Figg said from behind her.  The door opened all the way, and Harry could see Mrs. Figg standing behind the small girl. "Hello, Harry."

"Er-Hello, Mrs. Figg." Harry said. "My Aunt and Uncle told me to come over here now."

"Yes, they just called me." she smiled. "Come inside dear, I've just made some lemonade."

"Thanks." he said gratefully.  He was very thirsty from weeding the garden.  

            Mrs. Figg disappeared into the kitchen to get the lemonade, leaving Harry alone in the living room.  He looked around and noticed that the blond girl had disappeared.  He shrugged and looked around.  The living room had barely changed at all since the last time he had been there.  It was decorated in a typical grandmotherly style.  Somehow, it always felt like more of a home than the Dursleys' house did.  Pictures hung on every wall, showing various people of all ages.  They were all Muggle photos, of course, but Harry didn't mind.  He'd grown up looking at photos that never moved.

            Harry never got tired of looking at the photos on the wall, for some reason.  Each one showed exactly the sort of family Harry had always wanted as a child.  The older ones showed a young couple, obviously Mrs. Figg and her husband.  Her hair had been a soft auburn color in her youth, though all traces of color had faded to the white color her hair now was.  One picture showed the man in a policeman's uniform, his light brown hair standing out against the picture.  Harry didn't know much about Mrs. Figg, or her life.  All he knew came from these pictures on the wall.  He had never met Mr. Figg, but from the pictures, he looked like a man who would have a deep voice.  He was large and muscular, but his eyes were very friendly looking.  He imagined him as being like Hagrid: big and strong, but as gentle as possible.

            As Harry followed the familiar line of pictures on the wall, a baby appeared, slowly aging through the photos into a smiling girl with reddish blond hair.  She looked very much like Mrs. Figg, and could only have been her daughter.  Mr. Figg seemed to disappear from the pictures as Harry continued along.  He had always wondered what had happened to him.  The girl continued to age however, into a young woman with vibrant eyes that looked full of life.

            One the fireplace, however, was a photo Harry had never seen before.  The woman with the reddish blond hair was again in the picture, with her mother.  Also in the picture was the blond girl who had answered the door.  All three women, Harry noticed, looked very much alike, not unusual since they were related.  But the blond girl...something seemed familiar about her.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but it seemed like he should know her somehow.

"Here you go, dear." Mrs. Figg said, walking back into the living room, drawing Harry out of his thoughts.  She set a plate of cookies and a pitcher of lemonade on the coffee table.  He sat down on the couch, only just realizing how hungry and thirsty he was.  A few of Mrs. Figg's cats were in the corner eating out of a large food dish, though some were still gathering around his feet, begging for crumbs.  Harry sat down on the couch and gratefully drank the lemonade.

"Perdita, you don't have to be shy.  Come on out." Mrs. Figg called.  Harry looked up and saw the blond girl standing silently in the doorway of the living room.  Slowly, she walked over to the couch and sat opposite of Harry, keeping her eyes down as she reached for a cookie.

"Harry, this is my granddaughter, Perdita." Mrs. Figg said warmly. "Perdita, this is Harry.  He lives a few houses away, and he'll be staying with us today." 

" 'ello." the little girl said quietly.  

            There was something familiar about this girl, he thought again, but he couldn't figure out what. That was when he realized it, staring at her.  Her eyes.  Those were the same blue eyes that had been watching him earlier.  At least, he thought that was why she seemed familiar.  Those were definitely the eyes he had seen though.  They lapsed into silence as Mrs. Figg turned on the television.  Perdita sat on the opposite side of the couch, staring at the screen.  Her grandmother sat in a rocking chair nearby, stroking one of her cats.  

            Harry looked over at Perdita, though she didn't notice right away.  She had shoulder length, blond hair and pretty blue eyes.  Her skin was a creamy white, which went nicely with her hair.  She seemed to sense him looking at her and looked away so she couldn't see him watching her anymore, blushing slightly.  Harry smiled a bit.  Perdita reminded him a lot of Ginny, the first time he had met her.  He smiled, thinking of Ginny.  He really missed her, Hermione, and Ron.  At least he would be seeing them again soon.  Just a few more days, he thought happily.

            But while Ginny had eventually gotten over her shyness around Harry, Perdita seemed to be a different story.  He had hardly heard her say more than a few words at a time.  Harry happily watched the television; Mrs. Figg allowed him to do what he liked, knowing how awful the Dursleys were.  He was rarely able to watch what he wanted.  He stroked a few of the cats that swarmed around him on the couch.  After a while, however, Perdita took a book from one of the shelves and quickly left the room.  Mrs. Figg looked up from her book in time to see Perdita walk out, heading for the back garden.  She finally spoke to Harry, breaking the silence.

"You'll have to excuse Perdita." she said to him, drawing his attention from the TV. "She's been going through a rough time lately.  Though she's always been rather shy."

"Really, it's no problem." Harry smiled.  

            However, after a few more minutes of watching the television, Harry decided he'd go outside.  He found her sitting outside on a small bench in the garden, absorbed in her book.  For a moment, she looked like a blond Hermione, reading some book or other that she'd gotten from the library.  Harry felt another twinge of longing to see his friends, and escape the Dursleys.  He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside.  It wouldn't be much longer, he told himself.  Meanwhile, at least he had someone to talk to, who didn't glare at the sight of him like the Dursleys did.

"Do you like to read?" Harry asked, walking up behind Perdita.  Perdita gave a startled gasp and turned to look at him, blushing slightly at her outburst.  She hadn't heard him come outside.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she asked quietly.

"I just asked if you liked to read." Harry smiled, sitting down on the bench with her.

"Oh.  _Oui_, I do." she replied, smiling shyly. "I read all the time."

"You sound like a friend of mine." Harry grinned, thinking of Hermione. "So...your grandmother told me you've been going through a tough time lately.  Care to talk about it?"

"I do not want to bore you." she said, turning her head away so he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't mind at all.  It's nice to have someone around here to talk to for once."

"What about your cousin?" she asked.

"Dudley?" Harry snorted. "I don't think Dudley is capable of conversation of any kind.  He mostly just sleeps and eats, when he isn't beating me up."

" 'ow mean of 'im." Perdita said, a note of anger in her voice.

"Yeah, well, he's so fat he can hardly ever catch me.  He certainly tries though." he said.

"Why would 'e be so mean to you?" Perdita asked. "You 'ave never done anything to 'im, 'ave you?"

"No, he just...doesn't like me." Harry shrugged. "His parents, my Aunt and Uncle, don't like me either.  They didn't like my parents, so they don't like me."

"That is not a very good reason." Perdita said sympathetically.

"In Dursley land it is." Harry thought.  Out loud, he said. "So, Perdita, what are your parents like?"

"They were really wonderful people." she said quietly. "I never knew my father; 'e died before I was born.  But my mother said 'e was a wonderful man."

"What's your mum like?" Harry asked, glad that she seemed to be coming out of her shell now.

"She is dead." Perdita whimpered slightly, tears starting to blur her vision. "She died just a few weeks ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Harry said sympathetically.  She was starting to cry harder now.  Not knowing what else to do, Harry put his arm around her shoulders. "What happened?"

"I do not know." she replied. "I just came 'ome and found she 'ad been attacked.  Someone murdered 'er and I don't know why."

"It's okay." Harry said soothingly.

"Sh-She died in my arms." she sobbed. "She was murdered, just like my father."

"Your father was murdered too?' Harry asked, shocked.  Perdita nodded.

"You 'ave no idea what it's like." she whimpered softly. "Losing them both like that."

"Actually, I do." he said gently. "Both my parents were murdered, too.  That's why I have to live with my Aunt and Uncle."

"When did they die?" she asked, looking up at him.

"When I was barely a year old." he replied. "I can't remember them at all."

"I am sorry.  And here I am, crying my eyes out." she said, wiping away her tears.

"No, it's okay.  I've had fourteen years to get used to it.  You just lost your mother a few weeks ago." Harry said.

"I guess we 'ave a lot in common, don't we?" she managed to smile, brushing off the last of her tears.

"I guess so." Harry smiled, glad she wasn't crying anymore.  After a moment, he broke the silence once again. "So, you were the one watching me through the bushes earlier, weren't you."

            Perdita promptly blushed brightly.

"I...I didn't mean to spy." she said, thoroughly embarrassed. "I was just walking around, and I saw you.  I was trying to work up the nerve to introduce myself."

"Work up the nerve?  I'm not that scary, am I?" Harry grinned.  Perdita laughed slightly.

"No, I am just very shy." she replied. "I always 'ave been.  But when I saw that you 'ad seen me, I got nervous again and came back here."

"I'm not sure how the Dursleys would have taken you talking to me anyway.  Their goal in life is to keep me as miserable as possible." Harry shrugged. "Dudley especially.  He could pound me flat, he's twice my size, but like I said before, he can't catch me."

" 'e sounds like a git."

"He is." he grinned. "But I only have to spend a few more days there."

" 'ow come?" Perdita asked curiously.

"I'm leaving to spend the rest of the summer with a friend from school." Harry replied. "Another friend of ours is going to be there too."

"Well, that will be nice." she smiled. "Do you 'ave many friends?"

"Not really.  Well, at school I do, just not around here.  But I have two best friends."

"What are their names?"

"Ron and Hermione."

"I like that name, 'ermione." Perdita smiled. "It is pretty.  Prettier than Perdita."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Harry smiled. "I think it's nice."

"Well, nothing is worse than Parkin." Perdita said, her shy smile returning.

"Who's Parkin?" Harry asked curiously.

"Parkin is my middle name." she told him. "After my father, in a way."

"That's nice." Harry said. "My middle name is from my father too."

"Neat.  What is your-" she began, but she was cut off by her grandmother calling out to them.

"Harry!" she called. "Your Aunt and Uncle just called.  You can go home now."

"Oh goody." Harry said sarcastically. "Maybe I'll see you again next summer?"

"That would be great." she said honestly. "Then you would not 'ave to spend so much time around your cousin."

"It would make a nice change of pace." he grinned. "I'd better get going though, before Aunt Petunia throws a fit."

"_Oui, that sounds scary." Perdita laughed. "See you next summer, 'arry."_

"Bye, Perdita!" he called, as he hurried from the backyard.  
  



	3. Secrets Revealed

A/N- Well, the contest has been won! Obsessed With Snuffles reviewed with the correct answer. Nil Desperandum is Latin for Do Not Despair, which is kind of the theme of this story. Now, as for this chapter, Harry heads off to the Burrow, a major secret is revealed, and Sirius and Remus make an appearance! What's not to like ;) but anywayz, on to the messages, then the story.

  


~*Obsessed~*~With~*~Snuffles*~- Congrats on winning! Who cares how you figured it out, as long as you win ;) As soon as I finish, I'll send you the preview I promised. Listen With Your Heart has also been updated. And in answer to your question, no, Snape is not Ari's dad. Her real father is a Muggle, whom we will eventually meet towards the end of LWYH.

Paige- Tempting as it would be, Perdita and Harry will not be getting together. Perdita will get a boyfriend, but it won't be Harry. Ginny/Harry, however, is a distinct possibility...

Bobo- Well, as you saw from the A/N, the meaning of the title has been solved. I might have another contest though, we'll see, so you may still have a chance at winning something :)

LoonyLoopyLisa- Evil ff.net, how dare it overload when you try to review ;) Glad you like the story too. The beginning is kinda slow, but it'll pick up later, I promise.

Ayla Lupin- Hehe, you always like my chapters :) But I'm glad you do! Cyaz online!

Ravenclawer- Thanks. I love doing stories no one else has thought of, and I know I've never read a story about Peter having a child. I've read plenty about Remus and Sirius, though, and thought Peter deserved the same chance :) Thanks for the review!

greeneyed*redhead- I don't mean to kill them off so much, but it gives the stories an element of sadness to work with. Plus, less charecters that I have to worry about :)

anniee- Thanks, I'm glad you like it! And here's the next chapter, so you don't have to wait anymore!

Sabrina Potter- Hehe, nice try, but I already told you what the title meant, so you can't try to win ;) I mgiht have another contest later though, haven't decided. Glad you like the French stuff though, its fun to write, and I like having the culture clashes :) Plus, I can have her say stuff in another language, and no one will understand her!

*********************

_Dear Harry,_

  


_I'm glad to hear you're doing well. Remus and I have finally finished the assignment Dumbledore gave us. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't, in case this gets intercepted. I know, they never have been in the past, but I really don't want to take any chances, do you? Anyway, I'm back at Remus' now. I hope you got the birthday present I sent. It's actually from Remus too. He paid for it and I thought of it. Hope you like it._

  


_**Sirius**_

  


Harry smiled as he packed the letter in his trunk along with everything else he was taking to Ron's. That included the birthday present Sirius had sent him. He had picked out what looked a little like a Rememberall, but according to Sirius, it was different. It was something called a Dangerall. If he looked into it and thought of a person's name, it would appear in the orb. If the letters were in white, the person was safe, but if the letters were in red, that person was in danger. Thinking of the gift made Harry remember that he still had a letter to send with Hedwig.

  


"Here you go, Hedwig." Harry smiled, stroking her feathers affectionately. "You be sure to go to Ron's when you're done, okay?"

  


Hedwig hooted softly and nipped his ear playfully.

  


"That's my girl." Harry grinned, holding her out the window so she could take off. As he was leaning out the window, however, he heard a familiar voice shout his name.

  


"Oi! Harry!" shouted a familiar red head.

  


"Ron!" Harry grinned happily. "I wasn't expecting you for another few hours. And...is that _your_ car?"

  


"Dad borrowed it from the Ministry." Ron called up to him. "We figured Floo Powder would be a bad idea, judging from last year."

  


"You got that right." he laughed. "Speaking of which, you don't happen to have some of your brothers' toffees, do you?"

  


"Sorry. Mum checked us on our way out." Fred called, stepping out of the car. At least, Harry thought it was Fred. It was hard to tell at this distance. Heck, it was hard to tell up close too.

  


"You coming down or what, Harry?" George grinned.

  


"Yeah, haven't changed your mind, have you?" Ron joked.

  


"And stay here? I'd have had to lose my mind to want to stay." Harry shouted back, ducking back inside to go open the door for them. Mr. Weasley was already waiting at the door, apparently studying the doorbell.

  


"Hello, Mr. Weasley." Harry grinned.

  


"Simply fascinating." Mr. Weasley smiled as he stood up. "Oh, hello Harry. Ready to go?"

  


"Sure am. My trunk's just upstairs."

  


"We've got it, Harry." George smiled, heading up the stairs with Fred.

  


"Where are your aunt and uncle, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously.

  


"Hopefully, China." Harry muttered softly. Ron barely suppressed a snort of laughter, being the only person who had heard Harry. "They're hiding actually. They left this morning and told me I'd better not be here when they came back."

  


"Don't drop it, Fred!" George shouted from the top of the stairs.

  


"I won't drop it if you don't rush me."

  


"Boys." Mr. Weasley warned.

  


"Coming, dad." Fred called. Seconds later, the pair appeared at the top of the stairs, lugging the heavy trunk. They stood there a second, resting the trunk on the ground so they could catch their breath. Then, with a brief smile at one another, they teetered the trunk on the edge of the top stair, sat down on it, and rode it all the way to the bottom, laughing and cheering the whole way. The ride ended abruptly when they hit the wall.

  


"That was great!" George laughed, though both he and Fred immediately stopped laughing when they saw the look on Mr. Weasley's face.

  


"Want to give it a try, Dad?" Fred asked innocently. Mr. Weasley couldn't help it; he burst out laughing, along with Harry, Ron, and the twins. Mrs. Weasley had always been the disciplinarian; Mr. Weasley found their antics too amusing to stay mad with them.

  


"You two take that out to the car while I repair the wall." Mr. Weasley smiled.

************

The trip from Privet Drive to The Burrow took a surprisingly short time, mostly because Mr Weasley could make the car jump several miles at a time. The whole trip took less than fifteen minutes. Harry had hardly stepped out of the car, when he heard two voices calling to him, and the sound of running feet approaching.

  


"Harry! You're here!" Hermione cried, running across the lawn with Ginny. The two girls had been waiting on the front porch for them to get back.

  


"I missed you so much!" Ginny added as she and Hermione tackled him, hugging him tightly.

  


"Help!" Harry cried, laughing. "I'm being attacked by girls!"

  


"Sounds like a dream come true to me." Fred grinned as the remaining Weasleys walked towards them. 

  


"I second that." George added. "Except that one of them is Ginny. That's just wrong." 

  


Hermione and Ginny stood up, laughing. They pulled Harry to his feet and hugged him again.

  


"Sorry about knocking you down, Harry." Ginny said.

  


"Yeah, we've just missed you." Hermione added.

  


"What about me?" Ron asked, slightly hurt.

  


"She tackled you yesterday." Ginny laughed. "And I see you more than I like."

  


"Of course, she only tackled him because he hid her copy of _Hogwarts: A History_." Fred pointed out.

  


"Oh shut up, all of you." Hermione snapped. Luckily, she didn't hear George whisper to Fred that neither Ron nor Hermione had seemed to mind being that close together.

  


Mrs. Weasley, as always, was glad to see Harry. She gave him a tight hug, and immediately offered him food. Harry couldn't help smiling. Mrs. Weasley was the first person who had ever acted like a real mother to him, and he felt Ron was very lucky to have her. The Weasleys were Harry's favorite family in the world, and he felt truly accepted when he was around them.

  


Percy stayed locked in his room working until Mrs. Weasley called him for dinner. He greeted Harry as formally as he always did, much to the amusement of the twins. He threw them a dark look, but otherwise pretended not to hear them. After dinner, Harry hinted to Ron and Hermione that he had to talk to them, so they excused themselves from the living room quickly and headed for Ron's room. After checking the hall for any listeners, Ron settled himself down on the bed with Hermione and Harry.

  


"So, what did you need to talk to us about?" he asked cheerfully.

  


"I got a letter from Snuffles." Harry said, showing them the letter. "He's staying at Professor Lupin's right now."

  


"I hope he isn't found." Hermione said, reading through the letter.

  


"Yeah." Ron agreed. "But he's been careful so far. I'm sure he'll be fine."

  


"What's this present he sent you?" Hermione asked curiously.

  


"Oh, its something called a Dangerall." Harry said, going to get it out of his trunk. "If I say a person's name, it will appear in it. If the letters are white, the person is fine. But if they're red, they're in danger. I think it's a hint to stop worrying about him."

  


That made all of them laugh.

  


"We should give one to Professor Trelawney." Ron laughed. "Maybe it'd finally convince her you're not going to die every time she predicts it."

  


"Oh, that crazy old bat." Hermione muttered. "I still can't understand why you don't just drop the whole class and take something sensible like Arithmancy."

  


"Because that would require us to think, Hermione." Ron grinned. "This way, if we ever need a quick fix on homework, we just make up a load of misery, and we're done in no time."

  


Hermione made a noise of disapproval, but said nothing more.

  


"So, did Sirius tell you who any of the 'Old Crowd' were?" Ron asked curiously. "Or even what they are?"

  


"Nope. He's afraid the letter might get intercepted. Can't say I blame him, really." Harry said honestly.

  


"I'm sure Sirius will be just fine." Hermione assured him, noticing the small look of worry on his face. "The Ministry doesn't even know he's in the country again, they'll never find him."

  


Harry was cut off from replying by a loud crash that sounded from the closet. Ron sprang to his feet, white faced, and rushed over to the closet. He threw the door open to see Ginny sitting in a heap on the floor, half buried under the contents of the shelves that had fallen. She looked up, half scared and blushing, at her older brother.

  


"Ginny!" Ron shouted. "What are you doing in here?!"

  


"Nothing." she said meekly.

  


"Why were you hi-" Ron began, but stopped abruptly, going even paler than before. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you? You heard us talking about…about…"

  


Hermione and Harry suddenly came to the same realization that Ron just had. Ginny had heard everything. She had heard them talking about Sirius. She had heard them say where he was hiding. Seconds later, they were both on their feet as well.

  


"Ginny, you can't tell anyone what you heard." Harry said in a rush.

  


"Tell them what?" she asked, sounding a bit accusatory. "Tell them that you've been writing to a murderer? That you know where he is? The same person who tried to _kill_ you two years ago?"

  


"Ginny, its not-"

  


"I can't keep quiet about something like that!" Ginny shrieked. "What are you doing writing to him anyway?"

  


"Ginny, shut up!" Ron ordered, fearing his parents would hear them.

  


"No, I won't-" she began, but he cut her off. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit down on the bed.

  


"Ginny, for once in your life, shut up and listen to me." he said. She did, though she still glared up at him.

  


"Ginny, you have it all wrong." Harry told her. She gave him a disbelieving look.

  


"Harry, you're not going to-" Hermione began, surprised. But Harry cut her off.

  


"I have to." he replied. "She's already heard this much, and we can't do a Memory Charm on her or anything. Not without getting a warning from the Ministry. We'll just have to trust her."

  


Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to change her mind before she spoke. She simply shut her mouth again, gave a small sigh, and nodded. Harry glanced at Ron, who was still looking furiously at his sister. He relaxed a bit when he caught Harry's eye and nodded as well. Ginny looked at all three of them in utter confusion.

  


"Ginny." Ron said, more serious than Harry had ever heard him be. "What we tell you _does not_ leave this room. Got it?"

  


Ginny nodded slowly, wondering what this was all about. Harry took a deep breath and began to speak.

  


"Ginny, Sirius Black is innocent."

  


"He's wh-" Ginny began to shriek, but luckily, Ron moved quickly and clamped his hand over her mouth. 

  


"Shh!" he hissed at her. "Don't yell! Mum and Dad will be up here in a second."

  


Ginny nodded slightly and Ron slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

  


"Sirius is innocent." Harry said again. To his relief, Ginny didn't shriek again. "And he's my Godfather. That's why he's been writing to me."

  


Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came off. It just hung open as she stared up at Harry.

  


"Back in third year, you remember how Sirius was caught, but he escaped?" Harry continued. Ginny nodded. "Hermione and I helped him escape."

  


"But why?" she asked, finally finding her voice again. "If he was trying to kill you-"

  


"He _wasn't_ trying to kill Harry." Ron said firmly. "He was framed. Sirius never betrayed Harry's parents."

  


"Then who?"

  


"Peter Pettigrew." Harry told her.

  


"That wizard he killed?" Ginny asked.

  


"How do you know that?" Hermione asked, surprised that Ginny knew this much.

  


"I listened to people." Ginny said, flushing slightly.

  


"How much do you eavesdrop anyway?" Ron asked, sounding angry again.

  


"Well, how _else_ am I supposed to know what's going on?" she asked hotly. "No one ever _tells_ me anything."

  


"It doesn't matter, Ron." Harry said before an argument broke out. "It just makes it easier to explain. But yes, Ginny, Sirius _tried_ to kill Pettigrew, but Pettigrew blew up the street and faked his death. Without him, no one knew Sirius was innocent, let alone prove it. So Sirius was blamed. Everyone thought he'd betrayed my parents, but it was really Pettigrew who did."

  


"What?" Ginny gasped.

  


"My parents made Pettigrew their Secret Keeper instead of Sirius. They assumed everyone would think they'd used Sirius, so we'd be safe." he went on. "But Pettigrew was the spy the whole time. So it backfired."

  


"Oh God..." Ginny said softly, sympathy in her voice. "But...if he was after Pettigrew, why come to Hogwarts?"

  


"Because my dad, Sirius, and Pettigrew were all unregistered Animagi." Harry told her.

  


"They were?" she asked in surprise. The trio nodded.

  


"My dad was a stag." Harry told her. "Sirius is a big black dog. And Pettigrew..."

  


"Was Scabbers." Ron finished.

  


"Scabbers?!" Ginny cried. Ron had to put his hand over her mouth again, and held it there until she had calmed down. She tried to shout for about a minute, most of it made incoherent by Ron's hand, but they could pick out that she was just as furious as Ron had been that their pet rat had been a traitor, and a Death Eater. Finally, when she was calm again, Ron removed his hand, ready in case he had to muffle her again.

  


"Sirius saw the picture of your family in the Daily Prophet, when you won that prize." Hermione picked up the story. "When Fudge was inspecting Azkaban. He recognized Scabbers, sitting on Ron's shoulder. We met them both in the Shrieking Shack at the end of third year. Sirius and Professor Lupin told us everything."

  


"Professor Lupin?" Ginny asked. "What's he got to do with all this?"

  


"He's the reason my dad, Sirius, and Pettigrew became Animagi." Harry told her. "They found out he was a werewolf. They could keep him company during full moons as animals, without being in danger of being bitten."

  


"They did something that dangerous, just to help their friend?" Ginny asked. "How sweet!"

  


Harry, Hermione, and Ron couldn't help grinning.

  


"What happened to Pettigrew?" Ginny asked.

  


"He escaped." Ron told her. "He went back to You-Know-Who. He's the one who helped him regain his powers at the end of last year."

  


"That's horrible." Ginny said. "And to think, he lived with us all that time!"

  


"I know." Ron said sourly.

  


"So, all this time, he's been writing to you?" Ginny asked Harry.

  


"Yup. Ever since we helped him escape." Harry told her. "He was hiding near Hogsmeade during the Triwizard Tournament. I even got to see him. He's hiding at Lupin's now though."

  


"I hope he's safe there."

  


"He will be." Ron assured her. 

  


"Does anyone else know he's innocent?" Ginny asked curiously.

  


"Well, Lupin does, obviously, and Dumbledore of course." Harry said. "McGonagall, Snape, and your parents all know too. I think that's everyone, that I know of at least."

  


"How'd you know we'd be in here talking, anyway?" Hermione asked her.

  


"I didn't." she admitted. "I was in here looking for some Spell-o-tape for my Potions book, when I heard you coming. I knew Ron would be mad that I was in his room, so I just hid and hoped you'd be gone soon. You probably wouldn't have heard me at all, if a spider hadn't crawled across my arm and made me jump against the shelves."

  


"Spider?" Ron asked, going pale.

  


"Don't worry, I think the shelf fell on it." Ginny told him.

  


"Good." Ron grinned. "Crush the little bugger!"

  


They all burst into laughter. Ginny sat and talked with them for the rest of the night, their newest co-conspirator in keeping Sirius' secret. Harry had a feeling that his next year at Hogwarts was going to be a lot better than the last.

***************

_Dear Sirius,_

  


_Thanks for the Dangerall. I really like it, and now I don't have to always wonder if you're okay. Tell Remus thank you also. I'm glad to hear everything went well, and that you're okay. Everything here has been fine. So far, no nightmares or anything. I even managed to have a nice day a few days ago. I met a Muggle girl about my age in the neighborhood. She's Mrs. Figg's granddaughter. It was better than being around the Dursley's all day. I'm just glad I won't have to see them again until next summer. By the way, I'm going to Ron's today, for the rest of the summer. If you need to contact me, that's where I'll be._

  


_**Harry**_

  


Sirius frowned slightly as he reread Harry's letter. It couldn't be, he thought, could it? Nah, you're just letting your imagination run away again, Sirius. You're just seeing connections where there are none. Aren't you?

  


"Something wrong with Harry?" Remus asked, glancing up from his Daily Prophet to see the curious look on Sirius' face.

  


"No, nothing like that. He sounds fine. No nightmares yet." Sirius replied.

  


"The key word there being yet?" Remus asked, smiling slightly and raising an eyebrow. In all the years Sirius had known him, he had yet to figure out how Remus had learned to raise a single eyebrow.

  


"Well, considering everything that happened to him at the end of last term, I'm surprised he's doing as well as he is. I mean, meeting Voldemort like that would be a scary thing for anyone, especially a teenager. And seeing a fellow student murdered in front of you...but no, he sounds fine."

  


"Then why do you look so puzzled?"

  


"It's just something else that he mentioned. I don't think he even believes it's really important, it's just..."

  


"Just come out and say it, Padfoot." Remus prompted gently.

  


"Does Arabella have grandchildren?" Sirius asked. Whatever Remus had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that.

  


"I'm not sure." Remus said, thinking a moment. "Why do you ask?"

  


"Something Harry said. He said he spent the day with Mrs. Figg's granddaughter. I know Arabella lives near him, according to Dumbledore, but I don't know if this is the same Mrs. Figg we're talking about." Sirius said, sitting down and tossing the letter in front of Remus. "It seems like too much of a coincidence for there to be two different Mrs. Figgs in the same area. Though, he said the girl is a Muggle anyway."

  


"You're right though, it does seem odd. But I don't remember her ever mentioning a granddaughter staying with her when we talked to her." Remus said, tugging at a lock of his hair. He often tugged at his hair when he was deep in thought, and Sirius knew better than to interrupt his thoughts. He simply waited until Remus stopped. "I guess the only way to find out would be to ask her."

  


"All that thinking and that's the best you could come up with?" Sirius grinned. Remus threw a pillow at him and went back to studying Harry's letter.

  


"But she can't have a granddaughter, can she?" Remus continued, looking just as confused as Sirius now. "I mean, Kassia wasn't pregnant before Peter supposedly died."

  


"Whatever happened to her anyway?" Sirius asked suddenly.

  


"Kassia? God, I haven't thought about her in years." Remus chuckled, sitting back in his armchair. "I haven't _seen_ her in years either, come to think of it. The last I heard, she had gone to France."

  


"Really?"

  


"Yeah. It was just after James and Lily died. She stayed for the funeral, and Peter's of course. Then, she suddenly packed up everything and moved to France. I heard from her a couple times, but I lost contact with her after a while. I wonder whatever happened to her?"

  


"You'd know better than me." Sirius said. "Why did she leave anyway? She loved it here. I remember Peter trying to persuade her to leave the country with him, to get away from the Death Eater attacks, but she wouldn't do it."

  


"Too many memories, I suppose. She took Peter's so called death very hard. She said she had to get away from here if she was ever going to recover." Remus replied. "Plus, I think she was a bit afraid that you would break out of Azkaban and come after her too."

  


"I got quite a reputation after I was sent there, didn't I?" Sirius managed to laugh.

  


"You had a reputation before, just not the same kind." Remus chuckled.

  


"Ah yes, the Lady's Man." Sirius grinned. "There were only two women that never worked on."

  


"Yup. Lily and Kassia." Remus laughed. "Although I think Narcissa very nearly beat the Hell out of you once."

  


"That was first year, and only because I put the Frog Spawn in her Pumpkin juice."

  


"Which you fully deserved." Remus chuckled. He put down Harry's letter, and got up to make some tea. Sirius settled himself back against the couch, and promptly fell asleep.

************

_Kassia walked down the aisle, her face hidden behind the lacy veil she wore. Her white dress shone in the lights of the church. Dumbledore led her down the aisle. Her father had died when she was twelve, otherwise he would be here. Her mother was good friends with Dumbledore, and he had been like a second father to her. She beamed at him from behind the veil as he led her down the aisle. Remus, with his werewolf hearing, was able to hear what they whispered to each other as they walked down the aisle._

  


_"Thank you for doing this, Uncle Albie." Kassia whispered._

  


_"Its my honor, Kassia." Dumbledore replied. "Your father would be very proud of you."_

  


_"I just wish he could see me."_

  


_"He can, my dear." He assured her. "He can."_

  


_"What are you grinning about?" Sirius whispered quietly to Remus._

  


_"Nothing." He replied. "Just wondering if Peter knows how lucky he is."_

  


_"Oh, I think he does." James said quietly. Remus was the best man for the wedding, while Sirius and James were ushers. Lily was Matron of Honor, while Kassia had asked Corrine Lockhart (who was much easier to get along with than her twin brother) and her cousin Antoinette Val Jean to be bridesmaids._

  


_Peter fidgeted nervously as Kassia and Dumbledore walked down the aisle towards them. Remus reached out and patted his shoulder reassuringly. Peter gave a weak smile._

  


_"You'll do fine." Remus told him._

  


_"Yeah, there's nothing to it." James told him. "The hard part is done. You got her to say yes."_

  


_"Thanks, guys." Peter said, still sounding nervous, but looking much more relaxed now._

  


_"Hey, what are friends for?" Sirius grinned. Kassia and Dumbledore were only a few feet away now._

  


_"Showtime." James whispered. Peter took a few steps forward as Dumbledore held out Kassia's hand to him. Peter took it, smiling at them both. You could almost see him relaxing now. Sirius saw Kassia give Peter's hand a small squeeze as he led her up towards the minister. Dumbledore took his seat next to Arabella, who was almost crying now, watching her daughter._

  


_"Dearly beloved." the minister began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of this witch and this wizard. Who gives this woman away?"_

  


_"Her mother and I do." Dumbledore said, standing up as he spoke. Kassia smiled warmly at him. _

  


_"If anyone here feels these two should not be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." The minister continued. Sirius had been joking earlier that he would kill anyone who objected. Which was the reason Lily was giving him a warning look now._

  


_"Peter, take you bride's hand and recite the vows which will unite your lives as your hearts have already united." the minister instructed._

  


_"I, Peter Robin Pettigrew, take thee, Kassia Lynn Figg, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." _

  


_"I, Kassia Lynn Figg, take thee, Peter Robin Pettigrew, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."_

  


_"Have we the rings?" the Minister asked. James, who was nearest to the ringbearer, nudged him forward, grinning at the little boy. He stepped up towards the minister, holding out the little pillow which the rings rested on._

  


_"The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward bond which unites these two hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Peter and Kassia have made to one another. Bless, O God, these rings, that Kassia and Peter, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives." The minister spoke. On cue, Peter took Kassia's ring from the pillow. Kassia handed her boquet to Lily and turned, beaming, to Peter. Peter slipped the ring onto her finger and recited his part._

  


_"Kassia, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed." _

  


_Kassia now took Peter's ring from the pillow and put it on his finger in turn, holding his hand as she spoke._

  


_"Peter, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed." Kassia recited._

  


_"In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." the minister announced. A wave of relief washed over them both.  
  
"Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder." the minister finished, looking at Peter. "Peter, you may kiss your bride!" _

  


_He hardly had to tell the new couple this. The words had barely left his mouth when Peter had pulled Kassia to him and kissed her. Arabella was crying harder than ever now, and Peter's mother looked tearful as well._

  


_"Whoo!" Sirius cried, cheering Peter on. "Go Peter! I think he has you beat for wedding kisses, Prongs."_

  


_"Sirius!" Lily yelled across the aisle at him._

  


_Sirius...Sirius..._Sirius...

  


"Sirius? Sirius, wake up." Remus said, shaking his friend's shoulder. Sirius woke with a start.

  


"Wha?" Sirius asked, looking around.

  


"You fell asleep." Remus told him.

  


"Oh." Sirius said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

  


"You okay?" Remus asked, watching him with concern.

  


"I'm fine." Sirius assured him. "I just...had an odd dream."

  


"Oh?"

  


"Well, not really odd." Sirius admitted. "I was...dreaming about Peter and Kassia's wedding."

  


"Oh." Remus said quietly.

  


"I wonder..." Sirius said, thinking aloud. "If he was already a spy that day."

  


"If he wasn't, it must have happened soon after." Remus said. "They were married only a few months before Harry was born. And a few months later, we found out Voldemort was after James and Lily. If he was going to get a spy among their friends, that would have been the time to start."

  


"You...you don't think Kassia _knew_, do you?" Sirius asked suddenly. "Do you think she knew, about Peter being-"

  


"No." Remus said, cutting Sirius off. "Kassia wouldn't have kept quiet about a thing like that. She was too close to Dumbledore. She would have said something."

  


"Rem, she was his _wife_." Sirius said. "How could she _not_ have known?"

  


"We didn't either." Remus pointed out. "He kept _everyone_ in the dark about his activities. Is it so unusual that he would have kept Kassia in the dark too?"

  


"I guess not." Sirius admitted. He felt foolish for even thinking it now. Kassia was one of the most honorable people he had ever met. She always did what was right. She wouldn't have kept quiet about Peter being a Death Eater, if she had known. Besides, she was too close to Dumbledore.

  


"Well, you need to get in contact with Arabella anyway." Remus said after a long silence. "You can ask her about Kassia then, and about any grandchildren she might or might not have."

  


"Yeah." Sirius said, laughing a bit. "But first, food!"

  


"Some things never change." Remus chuckled as Sirius headed for the kitchen.


	4. Getting Used To Hogwarts

A/N- Ah, finally able to get a chance to post. Sorry about the delay, everyone. I blame Order of the Phoenix. But this chapter is nice and long, so hopefully that makes up for the delay. I'll try not to let it go so long next time, honest! Anyway, I have a brief disclaimer this chapter, and then, on to the messages.

  


Disclaimer: This story was conceived and started before Order of the Phoenix was released. I've decided that I put too much work into the plot to change it, so I'm not going to. Plus, some people may not have finished the book yet, and I don't want to spoil anything for them. So, I will be continuing with my original plotline. Anything that does not agree with the events in the Order of the Phoenix, I don't care ;) 

  


Sarah-Anna- I've been trying really hard to keep my charecters from being Mary Sues, because personally, I can't stand them, and I hate it when people say they are, so I'm glad you don't consider them Mary Sues either. We'll see a little more of Kassia in flashbacks later on too. Glad you like the story too! :) 

Vereniel Greenleaf- Thanks! I'm glad you like my OC's, because I try really hard to make them believeable people. Hope you enjoy the chapter! 

LoonyLoopyLisa- We'll be getting a few more flashbacks later on, so Kassia will be back. I love Sirius shouting out too, it just seemed like something he would do :) 

Paige- Hehe, don't worry! Perdita is _not_ going to end up with Neville, I promise. I have something much better planned. 

Sabrina Potter- Yay! More of the Remus story! And I promise, Remus will be back later on. We haven't seen the last of him. 

Alynna Lis Eachann- I'm with you, the Sirius' kid or Remus' kid are _way_ too overdone. But poor Peter's never been given a chance, so I thought I'd be completely original and give him a family, not to mention all the potential it has :) I'm glad you like the story, and hope to see more of your reviews, because I have a lot of twists planned for this story. 

~Lynx- I'm working on making the chapters longer, promise. Its just been hard, since these are just the beginning chapters. Harry and Perdita will figure out who the other really is in this chapter, and Perdita _will_ eventually find out the truth about her father, but that's not until much later in the story. 

mandy- Hehe, thanks! I'm glad you like it, and I hope to see more of your reviews :) 

greeneyed*redhead- Yes, Ginny knowing about Sirius is a good thing, and comes in handy later on. Perdita is not going to end up with Neville, but she _will_ end up with someone later on. No hints on who it is though! 

Ayla Lupin- No, Sirius and Remus do not realize that Kassia is dead yet, but they'll find out once they speak to Mrs. Figg.

***********

"Come on, there _must_ be an empty compartment around here somewhere." Harry said, peeking into another compartment on the Hogwarts Express. As was usual for the Weasley household, the group had been running late getting to King's Cross Station. "Aha! Here we go."

  


"It's about time." Hermione sighed, setting Crookshanks' carrier on the floor and letting him out. He promptly curled up in a sunny spot on the floor.

  


"I second that opinion." Ron said, shutting the door behind them. 

  


"Have you heard back from Snuffles?" Hermione asked as Harry and Ron set Pigwidgeon and Hedwig's cages under the window. Hedwig's cage was empty, of course.

  


"Not yet." Harry replied. "I wrote and told him that Ginny had found out, but Hedwig hasn't come back yet. She'll probably be at Hogwarts waiting for me, knowing her."

  


"I still can't believe it." Ginny said, shaking her head a bit. "All those years, and we never realized that Scabbers wasn't really a rat."

  


"I'm just glad Sirius broke out and showed us who he really was." Harry said. "Who knows what he could have done if no one had exposed him."

  


Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock at the door of the compartment. Ron stood and opened it.

  


"Excuse me." Said a shy voice outside. The owner had a pronounced French accent. "But do you 'ave any room in there? All the other compartments are full."

  


"Sure." Ron replied politely. "We have plenty of room. Come on in."

  


"Thank you." said the girl, stepping inside. "I do not know any- 'arry?!"

  


"Perdita?!" he cried when he saw her. They both stared in shock at each other. Hermione, Ginny, and Ron stared at both of them, confused.

  


"You are a wizard?" Perdita asked, at the same time Harry asked, "You're a witch?"

  


"Yes." They replied in unison. They started laughing.

  


"I never even thought of it." Perdita said. "Not even when Gammy told me your name was 'arry. I never suspected you were _the_ 'arry Potter."

  


"Do you know what's going on?" Hermione asked Ron. Ron shrugged.

  


"Hermione, Ron, this is the girl I was telling you about." Harry explained to them. "Mrs. Figg's granddaughter. Perdita, these are the friends I was telling you about."

  


"Nice to meet you." Perdita said shyly.

  


"Likewise." Ron grinned. "My name's Ron Weasley."

  


"And I'm Ginny Weasley." Ginny smiled.

  


"Hermione Granger." Hermione said, smiling friendlily.

  


"My name is Perdita." Perdita smiled. "Perdita Pettigrew."

  


Harry, Ron, and Hermione's eyes all widened in shock. Ginny, however, wasn't fazed a bit.

  


"You'll love it at Hogwarts." Ginny said, sitting down with Perdita. "You look too old to be a first year though, so I assume that means you're a transfer student. Where did you transfer from?"

  


"Beauxbatons." Perdita answered shyly.

  


"Thought so. You have quite an accent." Ginny commented. Perdita blushed a bit. "Did you like it there?"

  


"Oh, _oui_." Perdita answered. "Madame Maxime was very nice. We all missed 'er last year though."

  


"Did you know Fleur Delacour?"

  


"You mean our champion in the Triwizard Tournament?" Perdita smiled. "I knew 'er, but not very well. She was in an 'igher year than me, and I mostly stayed with my own year."

  


"Understandable." Ginny smiled. "So, tell me about Beauxbatons. Do you have houses too?"

  


"_Oui_, but we 'ave only three." Perdita replied, amazed that someone actually seemed interested in her for once. "Maison du Requin, Maison du Renard, and Maison du Moineau."

  


"Neat." Ginny said. "We have four houses at Hogwarts. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. All of us are in Gryffindor."

  


"Is Gryffindor the best?" Perdita asked shyly.

  


"Well, we think so, but our opinion is a bit biased, isn't it?" Ginny said, smiling over at Ron, Hermione, and Harry, who had finally sat back down, though they still looked a bit shocked over Perdita's last name. "What's with you guys?"

  


"Nothing." Hermione said quickly, forcing a smile. Ginny shrugged and turned back to Perdita.

  


"So, how do you determine what house you go to at Beauxbatons?" she asked.

  


"Well, we 'ave a special set of wands." Perdita answered. "Our Sorting is a bit like when we first choose our wand. We try each of the three wands, and whichever one we can make sparks come out of will be our 'ouse. According to the legend, the wands belonged to our three founders."

  


"Wow. Do you have a Sorting Song or anything?"

  


"Oh, _oui_." Perdita replied. "Madame Maxime brings out the wands and sets them on a table. They 'over in the air, playing music and singing. It is a different song each year, but it is always beautiful."

  


"That sounds a lot more interesting than ours." Ginny said. "We have a Sorting Hat that you try on. It tells you what house you should be in. It sings a song too, which it changes every year."

  


"Will I be Sorted?" Perdita asked nervously.

  


"Honestly, I don't know. We haven't had a transfer student that I can remember. Hermione would be the one to ask."

  


"Why me?" Hermione asked suddenly.

  


"Well, wouldn't it have said in Hogwarts: A History?" Ginny asked. 

  


"Yeah, Hermione. You're the one who's practically memorized the library." Ron grinned. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

  


"Well, I would think they would Sort you." Hermione said, forcing herself to be nice to Perdita. "You have to have a house. I don't know if they'll sort you in front of everyone though, or if you'll be sorted separately. What year are you anyway?"

  


"Fourth." Perdita said shyly.

  


"Great, same as me." Ginny grinned. "Everyone else is fifth year. Come on, I'll introduce you to the other fourth year Gryffindors, just in case you're sorted into our house."

  


"Okay." Perdita said, following Ginny out of the compartment.

  


"Pettigrew?!" Ron cried as soon as they were out of earshot. "She's a Pettigrew?!"

  


"I didn't know." Harry replied. "She never told me her last name."

  


"Probably for good reason." Ron said hatefully.

  


"Come on, guys." Hermione broke in. "I'm sure she has no idea her father betrayed Harry's parents. _We_ didn't even know that until we saw him for ourselves."

  


"I know, but still." Harry said. "Another Pettigrew at Hogwarts? Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse."

  


"Oh, now you're just overreacting." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "She hasn't even _done_ anything."

  


"I'll bet you anything she's put in Slytherin." Ron said, looking darkly at the compartment door.

  


"And what if she's put in Gryffindor?" Hermione retorted. 

  


"Why would she? Look who her father is."

  


"Her father was also a Gryffindor." Harry broke in. "So its possible she'd be there too."

  


"Great. Just great." Ron said, sinking back down on the seat.

  


"Anything off the cart, dears?" the witch outside asked. Immediately, all three forgot about Perdita and began buying as many sweets as they could carry. They had just sat down to eat them when they heard voices approaching.

  


"Father was in France most of the summer, on _very_ important business." a drawling voice was saying. A second later, Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway, Crabbe and Goyle standing behind him.

  


"Well, well. If it isn't my _favorite_ Gryffindors." he sneered.

  


"Drop dead, Ferret boy." Ron snarled.

  


"How clever, Weasley. Been working on that one all summer?" Malfoy sneered. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled idiotically. Malfoy turned to Hermione. "Didn't think you'd show your face at school again, Mudblood. The magical world isn't safe for people like _you_ now."

  


"Watch it, Malfoy." Ginny said, pushing him out of the way and stepping into the compartment. "You should know better than to insult a prefect."

  


"And what are you going to do about it, Weasley?" he smirked.

  


"I don't _need_ to do anything. Hermione could take care of you all by herself." Ginny replied coolly, facing him.

  


"That's right, Malfoy." Hermione said. Ron and Harry looked between them, confused.

  


"Go ahead and take points off." Malfoy smirked. "I'm a prefect too, I can just put them back on."

  


"Who said I was talking about points?" Hermione replied. "It just so happens I've been studying all summer. I know what spell Mad Eye Moody used to turn you into a ferret last year. You wouldn't like a repeat of _that_ incident, would you?"

  


Malfoy flushed deeply and glared at all of them. Without another word, he turned and left the compartment with Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

  


"I didn't think he was going to buy that." she said.

  


"Wow. Good bluff, Hermione." Ron complimented.

  


"What did you do with Perdita?" Harry asked, noticing she hadn't returned with Ginny.

  


"She's still talking with the other fourth years." Ginny replied, gathering up her bag. "I just came back for my stuff; I'm going to go sit with them."

  


"At least she didn't come back with Ginny." Ron muttered after his sister had left.

***********

After the train pulled to a stop, Perdita followed a group of first years to where Hagrid was. She wasn't sure if this was where she was supposed to be. But since she wasn't officially Sorted, she didn't think she could go with the other students. Timidly, she approached the huge, wild looking man holding the lantern and directing the first years along.

  


"Excuse me." she asked quietly. "I am not sure if this is where I should be."

  


"Ah, yer Perdita, right?" Hagrid smiled down at her. "Dumbledore told me there was a transfer student from Beauxbatons."

  


"Oui, I am." Perdita said, still quite timid.

  


"Yeh got nuttin ter worry 'bout." Hagrid assured her. "Yer supposed ter come wit the firs' years an be sorted wit them."

  


"Thank you." she said gratefully, hurrying to take the last of the seats in the boat. 

  


She felt a tiny bit foolish, sitting with the first years. So, she simply sat in the boat, staring at the ever-nearing castle with interest. It looked much different from the Palace of Beauxbatons, she thought. Not bad, but definitely different. She had wondered what it looked like ever since Madame Maxime had taken some of the students there last year. Her mother had tried to describe what it looked like to her, but it was like trying to describe colors to a person who had been born blind. It was just one of those things you had to see for yourself.

  


I hope I'm in Gryffindor, Perdita thought to herself, as the boats reached the lake shore. Both her parents, she knew, had been in that house. Her grandmother had been a Ravenclaw, so being there wouldn't be so bad. But she definitely wanted Gryffindor, if possible. Her mother would be so proud…

  


Perdita suddenly had to fight back tears, because thinking about her mother brought back the painful memory of watching her die. I wonder if she can see me now, she wondered silently, wiping away the few tears that had escaped her eyes. She and Papa are probably up there watching me now. This thought did bring some comfort to her. At least her parents were together again. Perdita had always known just how much her mother missed her father. It was obvious when she spoke of him. These thoughts, however, were pushed from her mind as she and the first years reached the front door of Hogwarts. All of them looked up at the huge front doors in awe, as Hagrid knocked on the door. They opened to reveal a strict looking old woman in emerald green robes and square spectacles.

  


"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.

  


"Thank you, Hagrid." the woman said. She looked at them. "Follow me, please."

  


The group followed her up a set of stairs to the doors of the Great Hall. Everyone looked around in amazement. Down a corridor, they could see a few ghosts moving through the walls. But Professor McGonagall drew their attention back to her as she began to speak.

  


"Now, in a few moments, you will be Sorted into your houses." She began. "They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. You will attend classes with others in your house throughout the year. Your achievements will earn you House points, while any rule breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the House Cup, a great honor. I trust you will all work hard, and be a credit to your houses."

  


The group listened intently to her every word. There was something about her that made you feel you had to listen, because the alternative would have very unpleasant results. Professor McGonagall then beckoned towards the doors and they followed her inside.

  


The four house tables, lined with students, stood on either side of the aisle as the new students filed into the room, taking their places right in front of the head table. A few students whispered amongst themselves as McGonagall walked forward and placed a ratty looking hat on a small stool. This must be the Sorting Hat Ginny had told her about. A rip formed near the bottom of the Hat, and a voice began to sing. Ginny wasn't listening, because she was looking around for Perdita, in the crowd of first years.

  


"Where is Perdita?" Ginny mumbled to herself, craning her neck to look at the group. "Where is she?"

  


"There she is." Hermione said, pointing her out. Perdita, though three years older than any of the students she stood with, did not stand out at all. In fact, she looked like a first year herself. She glanced around, just as nervous as the rest of them. She was as short as they were also. At first glance, she almost looked like a regular first year, not the fourth year transfer student that she was. But if they looked closer, they could see she was clearly older.

  


"Abbey, Tara." McGonagall announced, reading the first name. A confident looking blond haired girl stepped up to the stool and sat down.

  


"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted. So that's it, Perdita thought. You just put it on, and it tells you where to go. That's easier than the Beauxbatons sorting was.

  


"Bulstrode, Randy." 

  


"Another Bulstrode?" Ron muttered. 

  


"Evidently." Hermione replied. She rubbed her neck, remembering the headlock Milicent Bulstrode had put her in during the dueling club in their second year.

  


"Slytherin!" the hat announced, and the boy hurried down and took a seat next to his sister.

  


"No surprise there." Fred commented.

  


McGonagall continued reading names until she reached "Peterson, Travis." Perdita's heart gave a small skip, because that meant her name would be called soon. She fidgeted nervously.

  


"Ravenclaw!" the Hat announced, and the boy hurried, grinning, down to his new house.

  


"Pettigrew, Perdita." Perdita swallowed hard and walked up timidly. She glanced around the room as she sat down, acutely aware that every eye was now on her.

  


Harry's eyes widened suddenly. He knew why Perdita seemed so familiar. It wasn't that he had seen her in the pictures of Mrs. Figg's house, or staring at him through the bushes. Seeing the scared look on her face as she headed for the Sorting Hat, he knew _exactly_ why she was so familiar. 

  


She looked exactly like her father, he realized. He had seen that look before, two years earlier. That frightened look in her eye looked exactly the same as her father, when they'd met him in the Shrieking Shack.

  


"Ah, another Pettigrew." a small voice from within her head said. Perdita gave a small startled jump. 

  


"You went to Beauxbatons, I see." the voice continued. "A fine school, though I do believe you'll enjoy Hogwarts too. But…where to put you?"

  


"Gryffindor." Perdita thought hopefully. "Please, Gryffindor."

  


"Gryffindor, you say?" the voice chuckled. "Just what I was thinking. You'll do well there, that's for sure."

  


"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted. 

  


Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another. Ron looked shocked that she was now in their house. But they couldn't say anything yet, because Perdita had climbed off the stool and was hurrying down to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat next to Ginny.

  


"This is great." Ginny whispered to her excitedly. "I was hoping you'd get Gryffindor."

  


"Me too." Perdita smiled shyly. She glanced at Harry, who was staring determinedly at the Sorting Hat. Ron gave her only a quick glance before looking away also. Hermione glanced towards the Slytherin table, as a first year headed there. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were whispering to one another, and she had a feeling it wasn't good. But then, McGonagall was carrying off the hat, and Dumbledore was standing up.

  


"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts." he smiled down at them. "I have only a few announcements to make before we begin the feast. First, a reminder to all students, the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden. Secondly, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that the list of forbidden objects at Hogwarts is readily available in his office. And thirdly, eat up!"

  


With that, plates of food appeared on the tables, and every last student made a dive for it. Perdita hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food had appeared. Suddenly, she was starving. As she and Ginny loaded their plates, Ginny told her about the teachers she would have. Like Ginny, Perdita was taking Divination and Care of Magical Creatures.

  


"Hagrid's a great teacher." Ginny told her between mouthfuls of food. "His animals are a bit dangerous sometimes, but he makes sure we aren't seriously hurt."

  


"What about 'istory of Magic?" Perdita asked, taking a bit of mashed potatoes.

  


"Professor Binns teaches that. He's a ghost." Ginny explained. "Its a boring class, and almost everyone sleeps through it."

  


"You do?" Perdita asked, surprised. "You do not like 'istory?"

  


"Its okay, but Binns is as dull as a flobberworm." Ginny shrugged.

  


" 'istory is the one subject I am good at." Perdita said. "At Beauxbatons, I took an extra 'our of it."

  


"Really?"

  


"Oui. The Muggleborn students take extra 'istory of Magic, while the magic born students take Muggle Studies. It is required. Though, if they pass a Muggle Studies exam, they do not 'ave to take it." Perdita explained.

  


"Neat." Ginny commented.

  


"Madame Maxime believes it is a good idea." Perdita explained. "The Muggleborn students learn more about the Wizarding World, and the magic born students learn more about the Muggle world. It is more even that way."

*********

"So, what was it like at Beauxbatons?" Ginny asked as they sat in the Common Room later that night.

  


"It was really nice." Perdita said softly. "I loved it there. The whole school was made of white marble, it was so beautiful."

  


"Wow." 

  


"So, is it true they only have three houses there?" Colin Creevey asked.

  


"_Oui_." Perdita said, sitting down on her bed. "Maison du Moineau, Maison du Requin, and Maison du Renard."

  


"What do they mean in English?"

  


" 'ouse of the Sparrow, 'ouse of the Shark, and 'ouse of the Fox." Perdita explained. "They are named for our founders."

  


"Like the houses here are?" Neville asked curiously.

  


"Sort of." she replied. "Beauxbatons was founded by three Animagi. Maison du Renard is named for Cosette Beauvais. 'er form was a fox, and she was the cleverest of the three founders."

  


"Kind of like Ravenclaws." Ginny commented.

  


"Yes, but she was also very loyal, so in a way, she also 'ad Gryffindor qualities too." Perdita explained. "Cosette's younger brother, Gautier, was a shark Animagus. Maison du Requin is named for 'im. 'e was a warrior, very ambitious and determined. A mix of 'ufflepuff and Slytherin, I suppose."

  


"Why would a shark be considered determined?" asked Neville. "They're eating machines, hardly any brain at all."

  


"Ever tried to interrupt a feeding frenzy?" Perdita asked with a small smile.

  


"Good point." Neville laughed.

  


"The youngest sister, Melodie Beauvais, was a sparrow Animagus. Maison du Moineau was 'er 'ouse." Perdita continued. "That was the 'ouse I was in. The Sparrows are considered the most agile and artistic."

  


"How do you figure out what house you're supposed to be in?" Colin asked.

  


"We try out three different wands. One belonged to each of our Founders, according to the legend. Whichever wand you can make something come out of determines the 'ouse you belong in. Sharks were the green wand, Sparrows were the blue wand, and Foxes were the brown wand." she explained.

  


"That sounds more fun than ours is." Neville grinned.

  


"This Common Room actually reminds me of the Fox 'ouse." Perdita commented, looking around. "I liked the Shark 'ouse best though."

  


"You got to see the other houses?" the three asked in amazement.

  


"Of course." Perdita replied, surprised by their tone. " 'aven't you ever visited the other 'ouses in 'ogwarts?"

  


"No, we're only allowed in our own houses. That's why we have the passwords." Neville explained. "We don't even know where the other houses _are_."

  


"Really? We visited each other all the time. We always worked in groups of three during classes, one person from each 'ouse." Perdita went on. "So we took turns studying in the different 'ouses. There's 'ardly any 'ouse rivalry at Beauxbatons."

  


"What did your House look like?" Ginny asked.

  


"It was beautiful. We were up in the 'ighest part of the school." Perdita smiled, remembering how she stumbled on the stairs on a regular basis. "Our ceiling was even enchanted to look like it 'ad clouds floating across it, and the carpet looked like treetops. Very sky and air oriented, just like real sparrows. We even 'ad a family of sparrows that nested on the window sills."

  


"Wow."

  


"The Fox 'ouse was decorated like a forest though. The ceiling looked like it was made of leaves. They 'ad stone columns in there too, enchanted to look like trees. There was even a little fox that lived in there. 'is name was Pierre; 'e was such a sweet'eart."

  


"Oh, how cute." Ginny said.

  


"But the Shark's 'ouse was the best. It was actually built _under_ the lake. The windows were enchanted so they would not break against the water pressure. You could see all the creatures in the lake swimming by the windows." Perdita went on. "It was like being in an aquarium. There was a shark living in the lake that the students nicknamed Jaws, but 'e was 'armless."

  


"Wow. I almost wish I went to Beauxbatons now." Colin commented. All four started laughing.

  


"Bet you could get some great pictures of the Beauxbatons castle, huh Colin?" Ginny laughed. Colin grinned in reply.

  


"Hey, I have one talent, and I plan to use it." he said.

  


"You are a photographer?" Perdita asked curiously.

  


"Yeah. Want to see some of my pictures?" Colin asked. He was always eager to show off the pictures he had taken.

  


"Oh, Colin, show her the one of the Champions." Ginny said as he went to get the book he kept the pictures he had taken in. He returned a few minutes later with a large photo album. Neville moved over to make room next to Perdita for Colin. Grinning proudly, he opened the book, flipping to the page Ginny had requested.

  


It was a picture that had been taken the previous year, just before the final task. Colin had managed to get a picture of all four Tri-Wizard Champions, before they had gone into the maze. He'd been at a distance, but after he magically enlarged the image of the four, they were much clearer. All four had a look of determination on their faces, mixed with nervous apprehension. Fleur looked exactly as Perdita remembered from school: determined not to show how nervous she was.

  


"This is very good, Colin." Perdita complimented. She started flipping through the pages to see his other photos.

  


"Thanks. I've been doing it for about four years." He replied.

  


"Most of these look like they are of 'arry." She commented.

  


"Colin's stalking him, that's why." Ginny laughed.

  


"Am not!" he protested immediately. "He's just very photogenic. Besides, I need to practice on someone."

  


"At least you aren't hero worshiping anymore." Ginny said. Neville let out a small snort of laughter. "What?"

  


"You're one to talk about worshiping." He teased. Ginny blushed.

  


"What are you all talking about?" Perdita asked curiously, looking up from the photo album.

  


"These two practically have their own Harry Potter fan club going." Neville smiled. 

"Neville, you git." Ginny said, blushing even more now.

  


"Their first year, Colin was following him all over the place, snapping any picture he could. And Ginny had the mother of all crushes on Harry." Neville continued, thoroughly enjoying teasing his two friends.

  


"Who says I don't _still_ have a crush?" Ginny grinned, lobbing a pillow at Neville's head. Perdita giggled at their play-fighting. Maybe I won't be so lonely here after all, she thought silently.

  


"That's one of my best." Colin said, pointing to the page Perdita had just flipped to. It was of Ron, Ginny, and the twins, all playing outside in the snow. Perdita had to admit, it was very good. Snow flakes billowed around the four as they tossed snowballs at one another, all looking as though they were having the time of their lives.

  


" 'ave you thought about doing this professionally?" Perdita asked curiously. Colin shrugged.

  


"It's more of a hobby than anything." he said modestly.

  


"We keep telling him he should work for the Daily Prophet when he graduates." Ginny spoke up. "But he insists he'd never be able to get a job there."

  


"It's really stiff competition." Colin pointed out. 

  


"And you're really good. You have a better chance than most." Ginny replied.

  


"She is right, Colin." Perdita said, flipping through the pages once again. "These are better than a lot I 'ave seen. It wouldn't 'urt to try anyway."

  


"Listen to the girl, Colin." Neville grinned. Colin rolled his eyes good naturedly. 

  


"Who is this?" Perdita asked, looking at a picture of Professor Moody. She didn't remember seeing him at the Sorting Feast.

  


"Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher from last year." Ginny replied. "We're finally starting to get some that know their subject."

  


"Unlike Lockhart." Neville said. "Lupin was still my favorite though. Especially that Boggart lesson."

  


A blissful smile crossed Neville's face as he remembered how he'd made his Boggart of Snape wear his grandmother's dress and hat. Ginny was giggling now.

  


"I wish I'd been able to see that lesson." She said.

  


"I wish I'd been there too. That would have made a great picture." Colin said.

  


"You aren't a Fourth year, Neville?" Perdita asked curiously. She had assumed that since he was friends with Colin and Ginny that he was a Fourth year as well.

  


"Nope, I'm a fifth year." He replied.

  


"You do not mind 'anging out with fourth years?" she asked. Neville shrugged.

  


"Doesn't bother me." He replied, then grinned. "Besides, I like hanging out with my fellow misfits."

  


"Misfits?"

  


"That's what we call ourselves." Colin said. "Since none of us really fit in anywhere else."

  


"What do you mean?"

  


"We're kind of the outcasts." Ginny explained. "My brothers all have their own friends, and since I'm the only girl, I get left out sometimes. Colin's always snapping pictures, and a lot of people are tired of having their picture taken, so they avoid him a bit."

  


"Not that it stops me." Colin grinned good naturedly.

  


"And I am infamous for melting any cauldron I've ever touched." Neville finished. "Tornadoes cause less damage than I do."

  


"That just seems sort of...sad." Perdita commented. She felt bad now, listening them to put themselves down.

  


"Don't worry about it." Ginny said immediately. "It doesn't bother us. Besides, its everyone else's loss if they don't want us around."

  


"We couldn't care less, in fact." Colin added. "We don't care what anyone says. Although, the Slytherins tend to be a bit loud when voicing their insults."

  


"Oh yes, the Slytherins are the lowest of the low." Ginny replied. "They cheat every chance they get during Quidditch. And most walk around like they own the school."

  


"Your best bet is to just avoid them as much as possible." Neville warned. "They only care about themselves and their own house."

  


"Bedtime everyone." announced one of the sixth year prefects. Grumbling slightly, the Gryffindors began to file towards their dorms.

  


"See you guys at breakfast." Ginny said, bidding Neville and Colin goodnight.

  


"Same here." Colin replied. 

  


"Nice meeting you, Perdita." Neville added. "And welcome to the Misfits."

  


Laughing, all four headed for their beds. Not long after, all was silent as Gryffindor House slept.

**********

But while Gryffindor House slept, one light stayed on in the Slytherin Dorms. Draco Malfoy was busy writing a letter back to his father. Before he had left for Kings Cross Station, his father had told him that if anything unusual happened at Hogwarts this year, he wanted to know about it, and a new student from Beauxbatons was certainly unusual. He didn't know why his father wanted to know about anything unusual happening, but he wasn't about to go against his father's wishes.

  


_Dear father,_

  


_Remember how you wanted me to write to you if anything unusual happened here at school? Well, at the Sorting today, there was a transfer student from Beauxbatons..._


	5. Starting Classes

A/N- Ay yi yi.  I can't believe its been so long since I updated again.  Unfortunately, keeping up with two novel length stories is more difficult than I thought it would be, but I don't want to stop either of them.  So, here's the solution I came up with, which will hopefully work.  I'll try working on both stories still, but I may end up posting multiple chapters in a row of this story or Listen With Your Heart.  I probably won't be uploading them together anymore, but I _will_ keep both of them going.  I'm not abandoning either story, I'm simply concentrating on each in turn.  Hopefully, this will keep me from going so long in between updates.  In the meantime, enjoy the chapter!

Blackmage718- I'm glad you like this story, I'm trying to make it as unique as possible.  Though, Peter having a family is unique in itself, I suppose.  Hope to see more of your reviews!

greeneyed*redhead- Hehe, okay, okay, I'm writing ;)

~*Obsessed~With~Snuffles*~ - I'm glad you liked my explanation of the Beauxbatons houses, it took me a while to think them up.  I doubt Beauxbatons is really like that, but its nice to think so :)  As for Draco, we'll find out about him soon enough.  And yes, Ron is rather irrational right now, but he'll get some sense eventually, one way or another.

Alynna Lis Eachann- The "Misfits" were fun to create, even though I absolutely despise Creevey.  He'll be used as little as possible, but he seemed a perfect addition to the misfit group.  At least they all take pride in the fact that they're different :)

Sabrina Potter- Lol, I want a Sirius shirt!  Course, anything to do with Sirius, I want ;)  And nope, I'm not changing my story just cuz JKR wrote another book.  My idea started first, and I'm not changing it just because she screwed things up for me, lol. 

Echo of Darkness- I certainly hope this story does rock, because I'm working hard to make it uinique and interesting.  Glad you like it too! (Love the name, btw!) 

PhantomTzipora- Well, knowing Lucius, its not going to be anything good.  But I promise, we'll find out what he's plotting soon enough. 

Bobo2- Hehe, when the Malfoy clan is plotting, your safest bet is to run for the hills.  We'll find out what they're up to in a chapter or so though. 

Paige- Hehe, nope, there won't be any Colin/Perdita (mostly because I hate that little creep with a passion)  As for Draco, you'll find out eventually :) 

Vereniel Greenleaf- Yeah, Ron is being quite a prat right now, but don't worry.  Ginny will beat some sense into him soon enough. 

Ayla Lupin- Hehe, you know me, I could never leave Neville out.  Too bad Book 5 makes this story pretty much impossible, but I don't care, I'm doing it anyway!  Plus, I think the readers would lynch me if I stopped writing this story altogether... 

********************************

"That is the teacher?" Perdita whispered to Ginny as Flitwick climbed onto his usual pile of books.  Their first class of the year happened to be Charms.  It also happened to be one of Perdita's worst subjects.

"Yup." Ginny answered. "He's really nice though, and he really knows his subject."

"All right, settle down now, class." Flitwick smiled.  "Well, its nice to see you all back from the summer holidays.  And I see we have a new face this year."

                     Perdita was now trying her best to hide behind her text book.  She had always been shy, and hated being called on during class for any reason.  Luckily, Flitwick didn't say any more about her.

"Now, we'll be trying something fairly easy to start out with." Flitwick began. "You will be learning the Summoning Charm.  It has a simple wand movement, like so.  The charm is Accio.  Together now."

"Accio." the class repeated.

"Very good.  You will be practicing on these cushions, just to be safe.  Most of you should have no problem.  Just wave your wand like so, and say _Accio Cushion." Flitwick demonstrated.  One of the cushions flew at him, landing at his feet.  The class began trying it for themselves._

                     Ginny got it almost immediately, though she wasn't expecting it.  The cushion flew at her suddenly, hitting her in the face.  She and Perdita began laughing.  They weren't the only ones.  Most of the class was laughing at their own successes and failures with the Summoning Charm.  Perdita, however, did not fare so well with her attempts.  After more tries than she cared to count, her cushion had yet to do more than tremble slightly.  The more frustrated she got, the harder it became for her.

"Accio cushion!" she shouted furiously.  Instead of soaring towards her, the cushion exploded, sending feathers everywhere.  Perdita yelped in surprise and fell backwards out of her chair.  She got to her feet, blushing brightly, and almost dove back under the desk when she saw everyone was staring at her and her now charred cushion.

"Sorry." she whispered, getting back into her seat.  She would have given anything to just disappear at that moment.

"No matter." Flitwick said kindly, repairing the cushion with a wave of his wand. "Sometimes these charms just take some practice.  Keep trying, you'll get it in no time."

"Ginny?" Perdita whispered, her book now propped up in front of her face.

"Yeah?" she asked.  She and Colin were now Summoning each other's cushions back and forth across the gaps in the between their desks.

"Is everyone still staring at me?"

"No, you're safe." Ginny smiled.  Perdita's shyness reminded her of herself when she'd first come to Hogwarts.  She could understand how her new friend felt, being in a strange new school and knowing hardly anybody.

"I can't believe I did that." Perdita moaned, letting her head drop onto the desk. "Ow.  Or that."

"Don't worry." Ginny said reassuringly. "Its no big deal if you don't get it right.  Neville's made plenty of things explode.  And look at my brothers, Fred and George.  Not a day goes by when they don't break or destroy something.  Of course, they do it on purpose..."

"I suppose." Perdita said. "I just don't like everyone staring at me."

"Well, they aren't anymore, so you're fine." she smiled.

"Why do I 'ave to be so shy?" Perdita asked herself mentally.  

                     Perdita stayed behind her textbook until she was sure her blush was gone.  She waited patiently for class to end, still the only one who had been unable to perform the Summoning Charm correctly, and made her escape as quickly as she could.  Ginny walked with her.  She couldn't help noticing that Perdita kept her eyes on the floor the whole time.

                     She couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Perdita.  She was even shyer than some of the first years, and seemed rather hard on herself when she messed up a spell.  From what Ginny had seen, too, she was a bit clumsy on top of all that.  Ginny seemed to be the only one who really talked to Perdita, outside of Neville and Colin.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed to be keeping a distance from her, for some reason.  That was odd in itself.  They were normally friendly with everyone.  Ginny shrugged mentally and continued through the halls with Perdita.  It was probably nothing to get worked up about, she told herself.

"Where is the Divination class?" Perdita asked at last, breaking the silence between them. She was glad she had Ginny to guide her, because she would have been lost in a second, especially being new to the school.

"Way up in North Tower." Ginny answered, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "Good thing we have a while in between Charms and Divination, it takes practically forever to get all the way up there."

                     Perdita lapsed into silence again, just listening to Ginny talk about the Divination class.  She told her which of their fellow Gryffindors took Divination, and some of the things Professor Trelawney had already taught them.  Perdita had learned most of the same things at Beauxbatons already, so she was roughly at the same level as the rest of the class.

"What a long way to go for Divination." Perdita commented as they reached the top of what she hoped was the last flight of stairs. "I do not think even the Maison du Moineau was this 'igh up."

"Yeah, Trelawney is in the highest tower, apart from the Astronomy tower.  She says it helps her Spiritual awareness." Ginny replied, rolling her eyes a bit.  They reached the landing where Trelawney's ladder usually appeared.

"Where do we go from 'ere?" Perdita asked, looking around.  She saw no signs of a classroom up there, just a dead end.  Just then, the silvery ladder dropped down from the ceiling.

"Right up here." Ginny grinned, already starting to climb up.  Perdita waited a few seconds before following, securing her bag to her back.  She followed Ginny to a short table with poufs spread around it.  The rest of the class was already settled in their usual spots.  She recognized Colin Creevey in one corner, sitting with another boy from his dorm.  Not many Gryffindor fourth years seemed to be taking Divination.

"What a strange classroom she 'as." Perdita commented, noticing the lack of desks, and the abundance of poufs and armchairs.

"Yes, it is a bit odd, isn't it?" Ginny agreed. "But then, so is she."

"Welcome, my dears," said a misty voice.  Trelawney seemed to appear right out of thin air, sweeping over to her chair by the fire.  Perdita was immediately reminded of a dragonfly, seeing Professor Trelawney. "Welcome to another year of Divination."

"Oh joy." Ginny muttered softly.

"We will be beginning with the crystal ball today." Trelawney began. "Now, some of you may be fortunate enough to See on your first try.  Do not be discouraged if you do not, however.  Not everyone has the talent."

                     Ginny rolled her eyes at the amount of drama Trelawney was trying to put into her speech.  She had never Seen anything she was supposed to, but she still thought the subject was rather interesting, if you managed to ignore most of what Professor Trelawney said.  Ron's method of making things up worked well during class, but she preferred trying to do her homework the right way, no matter how long it took.  After Trelawney had passed out the Crystal balls, Ginny took her turn trying to do a reading for Perdita.

"Let's see..." Ginny said, peering into the crystal ball. "You're future...looks very foggy.  How do I clear this thing up?"

                     Both girls suppressed giggles.  It looked like they weren't the only ones having trouble.  Only a few people had managed to see things right away.  Ginny took a deep breath to calm herself down before she laughed loud enough that Professor Trelawney heard her.  She was at Colin's table at the moment.

"All right, let's try this again." she said.  She peered hard at the crystal ball. "Hey, I can actually see something this time."

"Really?  What?" Perdita asked curiously.

"I can definitely see you, and what looks like...trees.  I think you're in a forest or something." Ginny said, squinting a bit. "I think I can see someone else with you, but its too dark."  

"Is it at night then?" Perdita asked.

"Looks like it.  Where are the lights on this thing anyway?" Ginny asked, picking up the ball and examining it, as though looking for a Muggle light switch.  Perdita had to suppress another wave of giggles.  Ginny sighed and set the ball back down. "I can see you, because there's a beam of moonlight shining on you, but the other person is standing behind you, kind of in the shadows.  You don't look afraid though, so I don't think you're going to be attacked or anything."

"That is good at least." Perdita said, relaxing a bit.

"I can't see anything else, its too dark.  Here, you try now." Ginny said, sitting back.  Perdita leaned forward to try to see something in the cloudy ball now.

"I can see you." she said after a moment. "And Ron.  I think you are yelling at 'im."

"Nothing unusual about that." Ginny grinned.  Perdita giggled again, stopping just as Professor Trelawney came to their table.

"How is everything going, dears?" she asked mistily.

"Just fine, Professor." Ginny answered. "We've both managed to see something."

"Wonderful." she replied.  She happened to glance down at the ball them, and let out an audible gasp that drew everyone's attention.

"What?" Perdita asked, looking up at her.

"Oh, dears, it's the Grim!" she said dramatically.  Ginny rolled her eyes while the rest of the class gathered around them.  She could at least spend her summer coming up with something more original than seeing Grims all the time, she thought.

"The Grim?" Perdita asked blankly.

"Yes, the canine death omen." Professor Trelawney answered. "The Grim is in your crystal ball, locked in combat."

"Combat?" Ginny asked curiously.  This was different than her usual predictions of Harry's death.  Usually if she saw the Grim, it was just the Grim.  Not a Grim fighting something else.

"Yes, it is fighting against a rat." Trelawney replied.  Ginny rolled her eyes, as did most of the class.  Her stories just kept getting stranger.  Now a giant dog was fighting a little, tiny rat.

"I think we have done enough for today." Trelawney said at last, looking like she was going to have a heart attack. "Just leave the crystal balls on the tables for the next class."

                     With that, she swept back over to her arm chair by the fire in a flurry of silken scarves.  Ginny shook her head in disbelief and started packing up her books.  Perdita, however, was rather unsettled now.  She wasn't used to Trelawney bouts of insanity like the rest of the class was.  Ginny noticed this and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Is she always that...scary?" Perdita asked at last.

"No, this was one of her better days." Ginny grinned.

                     Seeing Ginny's lack of concern for Trelawney's vision made Perdita relax a little.  Ginny would know better than her whether to worry or not about what Trelawney saw.  Her growing hunger was overriding her concern anyway, and she was thankful that it was lunch time now.  She overheard Colin talking to his partner about how the class just kept getting stranger and stranger, which made her feel better.  Apparently, her predictions were nothing to get worked up about, if the rest of the class was so casual about her dark visions.  Perdita followed Ginny down to the Great Hall, trying her best to memorize the path.  She wanted to learn how to get around in the school, in case she ever had to do it without Ginny.

                     She recognized a few points of interest that her mother had mentioned to her when she was younger.  Her mother had talked about Hogwarts often, and even though they lived in France, Perdita had secretly wished she could go to Hogwarts.  Kassia made it sound so wonderful.  Now, though, she'd rather have her mother back than be at Hogwarts.  She felt tears sting her eyes, but fought them back.  It wasn't fair, she thought, but there was nothing she could do about it.  If only she'd gotten home sooner.  She might have been able to get help for her mother.  She could have done something, other than kneeling there with her as she died.  Ginny was still talking, she realized, but Perdita was lost in her thoughts, only half listening to her friend.  Ginny didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't mind doing all the talking.  Perdita hadn't told anyone here that her mother was dead, let alone that she had been murdered.  It was still sinking in for her.  A part of her kept hoping her mother would show up suddenly, but the rest of her knew it was impossible.  Maybe, if she got to know Ginny better, she might tell her what had happened to her mother.  Her grandmother kept telling her it would help to talk about it.

"Here we are." Ginny's voice broke into Perdita's thoughts, and she realized that they were at the Great Hall.  Most of the students were already there.  Perdita noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione at one end of the Gryffindor table.  Harry and Ron were talking, while Hermione had her nose buried in a book.

"What do we 'ave after lunch?" Perdita asked Ginny as they sat down and started filling their plates.

"Potions." Ginny answered, glancing at her schedule quickly. "Ooh, that isn't going to be fun.  Snape's a git; he hates all Gryffindors."

"Oh great." Perdita said sarcastically.

"Hey Ron." Ginny said, leaning around Lavender and Parvarti to look at him.  He didn't hear her. "Ron!"

"Huh?" he asked, jumping.

"Hi, I'm Earth, have we met?" Ginny grinned.

"Very funny, Ginny." Ron replied, rolling his eyes. "What did you want?"

"I just wanted to ask if you've had Snape yet."

"Thankfully, no.  Why?"

"We have him next.  Just wondering if you knew what kind of mood he's in."

"Ginny, it's Snape.  He's in the same mood he's always in.  Like something crawled up his-"

"Pass the salt, Harry." Hermione interrupted Ron before he got much farther.  Harry laughed and handed the salt shaker to her.

"Good luck with Snape, Gin." Harry grinned.

"Thanks, we'll need it." Ginny grinned.

"Is 'e really that bad?" Perdita asked.

"Yeah, he is." Ginny replied. "He has it in for Harry especially.  Poor Neville doesn't fare much better."

"Why doesn't 'e like you, 'arry?" Perdita asked.  He didn't answer her.  Perdita bit her lip and stared back at her food, pushing it around her plate idly.  She didn't know why, but he, Ron, and Hermione seemed to avoid talking to her lately.  She couldn't understand why, either.  She couldn't think of anything she had done to make them stop liking her.

"Well, we better get going.  If there's one thing you should never do, its be late for Snape's class." Ginny said, slinging her bag onto her back. 

"Harry, that was _really_ rude." Hermione scolded after Ginny and Perdita had left.

"What?" he asked, looking up from his plate.

"Perdita asked you a question and you ignored her."

"I didn't mean to." he replied honestly. "I was thinking about Sirius, and I didn't even hear her.  She's just so quiet."

"Ignoring her sounds like a better idea." Ron mumbled.  Hermione elbowed him. "Ow.  Hey, what's with you today, Hermione?"

"I just don't think we should be giving her the cold shoulder like this." she admitted. "I mean, it's not _her fault her father did what he did."_

"Not ours either." Ron replied.  Hermione glared at him but said nothing.  She didn't feel like arguing with Ron today.

******************

"Sit down and be quiet." Snape barked at them as he entered the classroom. "We will be starting this year with poison antidotes.  Your first one is on page 307 of your potions text."

Obediently, the class opened their books, flipping to the page as instructed.

"The instructions should be simple enough even for _you lot to follow." he said nastily. "You have until the end of class."_

                     Ginny was already setting up the cauldron, as Perdita got out the potions book.  The potion didn't look _too complicated, but then, Potions had never been Perdita's best subject.  Nearby, Colin was partnering with one of the boys in his dorm.  Perdita hoped Ginny knew what she was doing, because she certainly didn't._

"Let's see, first we add the ground Beetle eyes." Ginny mumbled to herself, already starting the potion.  "What's it say to do next?"

"Add two sprigs of dried 'eather." Perdita replied.

"Dried what?" Ginny asked.  She was still getting used to Perdita's accent.

" 'eather." Perdita repeated.

"What?"

"This." Perdita sighed, pointing to the page.

"Oh, heather." Ginny said. "Sorry."

"Its okay." Perdita told her. 

"Hey Ginny, do you have any alligator bile?  We're out." Colin asked from the next table.

"Yeah." Ginny said. "Go ahead and continue, Perdita, I'll be back in a sec."

"All right..." Perdita said, though sounding very unsure.  She look at the next ingredient on the list.  A dash of raspberry powder.  Perdita picked up the vial to tap a little into the cauldron, when the top suddenly came off, and _way too much poured into the cauldron.  Oh no, she thought frantically.  Before she could do anything, the cauldron started to melt, sending the half finished potion flowing across the table._

"Oh no, what happened?" Ginny asked, hurrying back over.

"The top came off, and it all poured into the cauldron." Perdita said, trying to mop up what she could.

"Let's just hope Professor Snape didn't-"

"Well well well." said a cold voice.

"Too late." Ginny mumbled so he couldn't hear.

"What is _with_ you Gryffindors and melting cauldrons?" Snape hissed down at them.  Ginny knew he was referring to Neville, but she suppressed the urge to fight back.  It wasn't worth it.

"It was an accident." Perdita said lamely.

"Perhaps ten points from Gryffindor will ensure that it won't happen again." Snape sneered.  Perdita was about to protest, but Ginny elbowed her.  She stayed silent until Snape left to go torment Colin and his partner.

"What was that for?" Perdita asked, rubbing her ribs where Ginny elbowed her.

"Sorry." Ginny apologized. "But Snape would have loved for you to argue with him.  It would give him an excuse to take even more points off.  The only students he actually likes are his own Slytherins."

"This 'ouse rivalry is going to take some getting used to..." Perdita thought quietly, watching Snape walk away to praise his Slytherins even further.

                     Every once in a while, Snape would look over at her and glare, unbeknownst to Perdita, or anyone else for that matter.  She's as pathetic at Potions as her father was, he thought to himself.  Dumbledore had explained Perdita's situation to the staff before the term had started.  It was unusual for the Headmaster to gather the staff just to talk about one of the students, but Perdita had been an unusual case.  There had not been a transfer student to Hogwarts in decades.  She was the granddaughter of a member of the Order of the Phoenix, as well as the daughter of the man who had helped restore Voldemort to power.  Did she _have_ to look so much like that rat, he thought angrily.  But then he saw her smile at something Weasley was saying to her.  That smile was most definitely Kassia's.

                     The bell rang at that moment, and all the students scrambled out of the classroom, leaving Severus lost in his thoughts.  He sat down at his desk.  He had been surprised just how much it had shocked him when Dumbledore had told the staff that Kassia had been murdered.  It surprised him even more to realize that he actually missed her a little.  They'd never exactly been friendly to each other during school.  To him, she had been a Mudblood; one of those Gryffindors who always hung around Potter and his little gang.  To Kassia, he was the Slytherin who tormented her almost as much as he had Evans.  And yet...she was the only Gryffindor who had ever smiled at him.  Every time he had called her a Mudblood, or made fun of her in some other way, she never cried, or got angry like Evans had.  All she did was smile at him and walk away.

                     Severus sighed and closed his eyes.  As he thought about Kassia, one memory in particular came floating back to him, of their last year at Hogwarts.

_"Watch it!" Severus snarled as he slammed into Kassia in the library.  She stumbled back and almost fell, but managed to stay standing.  He stood there, glaring at her, as she calmly reached down and picked up the book he had dropped._

_"You dropped this." she said, handing it to him.  He snatched it away from her._

_"Out of my way, Mudblood." he spat at her.  Kassia merely gave him that serene smile of hers and walked away.  It made him even more furious.  She never retaliated!  What was the fun in insulting her if she never reacted?_

_                     Severus turned away and went back to searching the shelves.  It was only a few seconds before he heard two people on the other side of the shelf talking.  Peeking surreptitiously through a gap in the books, he saw Kassia and Lily sitting at a table, working on their homework.  They were talking about him, he realized suddenly._

_"He's such a creep." Lily said. "Doesn't he have anything better to do than insult people?  I just hope he doesn't come over here and start up again."_

_"He probably won't." Kassia said, flattening out some parchment. "He just called me a Mudblood.  He's around here somewhere, probably studying for the NEWT's"_

_"I don't know how you stand it." Lily said, shaking her head. "How can you not get upset when he calls you a Mudblood?  He's almost as horrible towards you as he is to me, and I can barely stand it.  Sometimes I just want to hex the living daylights out of him."_

_"Really?" Kassia actually sounded surprised._

_"Yeah, don't you?" Lily asked, sounding surprised now also._

_"Well, we all know I couldn't do a hex to save my life." Kassia laughed.  Lily laughed too before speaking again._

_"Seriously, though, don't you just hate him sometimes?"_

_"Not really." Kassia said honestly._

_"How can you not hate him?  He's a jerk." Lily said.  Kassia shrugged slightly._

_"I don't hate him because I'm not going to let him win." she said after a moment.  Severus blinked silently.  What did she mean by that?  Lily seemed to be wondering the same thing._

_"Win?  What do you mean win?" she asked, confused.  Kassia put her quill down as she answered._

_"My dad used to have a saying, before he died." she began in her usual quiet tone. "Others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them.  Then, you destroy yourself.  I'm not going to let Snape win.  I won't hate him back."_

_"Your dad sounds like he was a really wise person." Lily said at last._

_"He was." Kassia said with a note of sadness in her tone. "He also used to tell me that everyone has some good in them.  Even people like Snape."_

_"If he does, its very well hidden." Lily said, turning back to her homework._

_"Maybe." Kassia said with a small laugh. "But either way, I'm not going to let him win.  Besides, it seems like nothing annoys him more than seeing me refuse to retaliate."_

"Severus?" a voice suddenly interrupted Severus' thoughts.  His eyes snapped open; he hadn't even heard the person walk in.  He looked up to see Professor Dumbledore standing before him.  He had to blink a few times to convince himself that he was really in his dungeon classroom, and not in the library, listening to Kassia and Lily talking about him.

"Sorry, Headmaster." Severus said, getting to his feet. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Perfectly all right, Severus." Dumbledore assured him. "You looked a little lost in thought anyway."

"You could say that." Severus said simply.  More like lost in the past, he thought. "Was there something you needed?"

"You did not show up for the regular staff meeting." Dumbledore said. "I only wondered if everything was okay."

"Everything is fine, I was just...distracted after class.  I forgot about the meeting, and lost track of time." Severus answered truthfully.

"Quite all right, I just wanted to make sure." Dumbledore answered with his usual half smile. "You did not miss much, only Argus' usual complaints about the lack of suitable punishments for rulebreakers."

                     Severus' mouthed twitched as he came close to smiling.  It was gone a second later, however, and Dumbledore was turning to leave anyway.  

"Headmaster." Severus said before he had reached the door. "About the...assignment you gave me, just before the term started."

"Yes, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, turning to face him again.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked, before he decided to change his mind. "If the Mark really does affect them as you believe it does-"

"We will worry about that when the time comes." Dumbledore interrupted. "Until then, we can only wait until we see the signs."

"Yes, Headmaster." Severus said with a nod.  He would have preferred to know what Dumbledore planned to do, but experience had told him that no power on earth could force information out of the old Headmaster.  Only time would tell.


	6. Launching Plans

A/N- Argh, I've left this for so long (again). Sorry everyone! I know I must be driving you crazy, updating so little. But thanks to everyone who's still being patient, and reading when I actually do update. I love you!

  


ruweka.j- No, Ginny won't end up with Draco. Its in that section mainly because they are the two people Perdita will interact with the most.

Blackmage718- Hehe, I stole that line from Tommy Boy. I love that movie, and David Spade rules.

Vereniel Greenleaf- Aww, thanks! I'm glad you like my story, even if I don't update as often as I should 

Paige- Yeah, I know I don't update all that often, the ideas are just being slow in coming, but I'm going as fast as I can. I'm just glad some of my reviewers have stuck with me for so long, and haven't given up on me completely as far as updates go.

Alynna Lis Eachann- Well, Harry doesn't talk to her in this chapter, but he will in the one afterward. A little, anyway.

Ayla Lupin- Hehe, thanks! You already know more about what's coming than most people ;)

Bobo Blankrune- Hehe, I'm nicer to her later on, I promise. Its just at the beginning that I'm not, cuz of Harry and the gang :)

  


************

  


Draco read and re-read the letter in his hand, trying to make sure he had read it correctly. His father's response to the letter he had sent was unexpected, to say the least.

  


_Draco,_

  


_That girl you mentioned in your letter is of particular interest to me. From what I've discovered, she is the relative of a high ranking Death Eater. However, the Dark Lord has started to doubt his loyalties. I want you to befriend the girl, and bring her to our side. If we have her on our side, her relative may be more likely to remember where his loyalties should be. She will also make a perfect spy in Gryffindor, and could very well help the Dark Lord kill Potter. Do whatever you have to, just ensure she will join our side._

  


_Your father_

  


"Befriend a Gryffindor?" Draco sneered to himself. "Does he have any idea how impossible that is?"

  


Not that he was going to argue with his father. He knew better than to do that, especially when it would serve the Dark Lord's own purposes. He had to admit, having a spy in Gryffindor would be useful. It would certainly give him more chances to get at Potter. Maybe they'd even be able to steal a playbook for the Quidditch team. That would certainly give Slytherin House an advantage in the games.

  


But how to gain her trust...

  


Draco glanced up from his letter, looking across the Great Hall to where Potter and his friends were sitting. He glared to himself, watching them. He would have loved to hex that ugly scar right off Potter's smug little face. A few seats away, he saw Weasley's little sister talking with the Pettigrew girl, Longbottom, and the Creevey brothers. As he watched, Perdita reached across the table to take something Colin was showing them, accidently knocking over her goblet of juice in the process. Great, Draco thought, rolling his eyes. I have to befriend the female version of Longbottom.

  


"Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry!" Perdita cried, helping mop up the juice she had spilled before it ruined any more of the parchment he was working on.

  


"Its all right, really." he assured her, grabbing a few more napkins. "Its not like you did it on purpose."

  


"I didn't ruin your 'omework, did I?" she asked.

  


"Nah, just got a bit of the corner wet." he said, looking at it. "Nothing smudged. Don't worry about it."

  


"Are you sure?" she asked, still feeling bad.

  


"I'm sure." he assured her.

  


"Oh, Perdita, we'd better get going." Ginny said, realizing what time it was. "We'll be late for Transfiguration. See you later Neville, come on Colin."

  


"I'm coming, I'm coming." he grumbled good naturedly, grabbing his bag and stuffing his camera into it as he followed the two girls.

  


***********

"Ah, finally, lunch time." Ginny sighed happily as Transfiguration ended. "Need some help Perdita?"

  


Perdita was gathering up her books and parchment as best she could. McGonagall had given them a lot of notes to take down, as well as enough homework to last them all weekend. Most of the class was filing out of the room already.

  


"No, it is okay, Ginny." Perdita replied. "I need to go to the library anyway. I will meet you in the Great 'all."

  


"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. Perdita looked like she had a lot to carry, and she still had a bit of trouble trying to find her way around the school.

  


"_Oui_, I will be fine." Perdita assured her. "You go on ahead."

  


"All right. I'll save you a spot then." Ginny grinned as she left.

  


Perdita walked out of the classroom, a tall stack of books in her arms. She had almost made it to the first flight of stairs that would take her to the library, when the stack suddenly swayed and toppled to the floor. Various parchments that had been stuffed into the books fluttered down around her. Perdita sighed and knelt down to pick everything up again. She reached for a book and was surprised to see someone else's hand reaching for the same book. She looked up shyly to see a silver-blond haired boy with stormy gray eyes kneeling in front of her.

  


"Need some help?" he asked politely.

  


"Y-yes, please." she replied. He helped her gather up her books and parchments.

  


"Where's your bag?" he asked curiously, watching her try to balance the books again.

  


"It broke yesterday. I tried to fix it, but I am not any good at Charms. It does not 'elp that I 'ave so many books to return to the library either."

  


"Well, these are way too heavy for you to carry all that way. I'll help you carry them." he offered, smiling.

  


"Thank you." she said gratefully.

  


"By the way, my name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." Draco said, with a slight bow.

  


"That's a nice name." she smiled shyly.

  


"Thank you. Your name is Perdita, isn't it?" he asked. She nodded.

  


"Perdita Pettigrew." she told him.

  


"Well, I think that's a nice name, too." he said. She blushed. Predictable, he thought. Flattery always works.

  


"What year are you in?" she asked as they walked. She noticed, from his robes, that he was a Slytherin. She remembered everyone had warned her not to trust Slytherins, but this one wasn't being mean like they had said.

  


"Fifth, and if I remember correctly from the Sorting Ceremony, you're a fourth year, right?"

  


"Yes."

  


"So, where did you transfer from anyway?" he asked, trying to keep up conversation.

  


"Beauxbatons." she answered. "I grew up in France, even though my parents were both British."

  


"I thought I recognized the accent. I have some family in France, too. Maybe you even knew some."

  


"Maybe."

  


"How come you transfered here?" he asked. Perdita didn't answer. She ducked her head and fought back tears. The image of her mother dying had crawled back into her head.

  


"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, a bit confused by her reaction. "Are you...crying?"

  


"No. Yes. I am sorry, it is just...I do not really want to talk about it."

  


"No problem. It's probably none of my business anyway. Forgive me, Madame, for being nosy." he said, with a dramatic bow. Perdita couldn't help but laugh a little.

  


"From what I 'ave 'eard, most Slytherins would never 'elp a clumsy Gryffindor like me." she said, looking up at him as they continued walking.

  


"Well, I'm not like most Slytherins." he replied. Ha, yeah, right, he thought. "Just don't tell your friends that. I'd hate to ruin my house's reputation."

  


"Oh, no problem there. I don't 'ave many friends to tell."

  


"I'm sorry to hear that." he said. "Well, you have one now. If you don't mind my being a Slytherin, that is."

  


"Not at all. This whole 'ouse rivalry is new to me; we did not 'ave any of that at Beauxbatons." she said as they reached the library. "Well, thank you Draco, for 'elping me."

  


"Any time." he smiled, handing his share of the books back to her. "Listen, if you aren't busy after dinner, would you like to do something?"

  


"Sure." she said eagerly. "I would love to."

  


"Great. Bring your bag, too. Maybe I'll be able to fix it for you." he grinned.

  


"Thank you, Draco. I will see you after dinner." she promised.

  


"Meet me here." he smiled, heading down the stairs. There was less of a chance of the other Slytherins seeing him with a Gryffindor if they met near the library, rather than outside the Great Hall. Perdita couldn't help smiling as she watched him go.

  


"This is going to be easy." Draco smirked to himself as he walked away.

*********

"I wasn't sure if you were going to show up," Draco said, forcing a smile when he saw Perdita walking towards him, an empty bag hanging off her shoulder. Even from where he was, he could see the large split in the side. As promised, he was waiting in front of the library for her.

  


"I...got a little lost on the way up." Perdita admitted, blushing. "I 'ope I didn't keep you waiting."

  


"Not at all." he replied. "Is that the bag you told me about?"

  


"Oui." she replied, handing it over to him. He inspected the rip closely. It ran down the side, where a seam had once been, and even though it was rather long, it was nothing he couldn't fix. If she was a little smarter, he thought, she could have figured it out herself. Oh well, you can't expect Gryffindors to be intelligent. Draco took his wand from his pocket and flicked it at the tear in the bag.

  


"Reparo." he said. Instantly, the tear repaired itself, as though it were being sewn with invisible thread. He handed it back to her, smiling. "There you go, good as new."

  


"_Merci_." she said, taking it back.

  


"No problem." he shrugged, trying to think what to do next. A walk, perhaps, he thought. They could go somewhere less public, so he wouldn't have to worry about another Slytherin seeing them. "want to go for a walk?"

  


"All right. That sounds nice." Perdita agreed, smiling.

  


"You know, I'm surprised Granger didn't offer to fix your bag for you." Draco commented as they started down the hall. "She'll usually take any chance she can to show off her brains."

  


"I don't think 'ermione likes me very much." Perdita said quietly, not really looking up at him. Draco stopped in surprise, staring at her.

  


"Really?" he asked. "I thought Gryffindors were required by law to like each other. Its in the school rules or something, I'm sure of it."

  


This managed to make Perdita laugh a little. He has a nice sense of humor, she thought.

  


"I 'ave nothing against 'er." Perdita said as they continued walking. "She, 'arry, and Ron were nice to me on the train, but lately, Ginny is the only one who 'as really spoken to me. Besides Colin and Neville."

  


Great, Draco thought, she's already making friends with the losers and Mudbloods. I can't believe I have to do this. Still, its better than the alternative, which was disobeying his father's order. Draco knew better than that. He shuddered to think, however, what the other Slytherins would do if they found out he was hanging around a Gryffindor. Not that they would say anything, though. Nobody criticized a Malfoy.

  


"Why would Potter, Weasley and Granger have a problem with you?" he asked at last. "You seem likeable."

  


For a klutzy, know-nothing Gryffindor, he added silently.

  


"I don't know." she sighed softly. "I didn't do anything to them. If I did, I don't know what it was. Ever since the Sorting, they 'ave barely spoken to me. They mostly just ignore me."

  


That's Potter for you, Draco thought. Thinking he's better than everyone else, getting away with whatever he wants. And Granger and Weasley, of course, following his lead. Bunch of stupid, brainless-

  


Damn! he swore mentally, seeing who was ahead of them in the hall. Blaise Zabini, the self-appointed authority on True Slytherin Behavior. If Potter thought Draco was a manic about Pureblood mentality, he'd never seen Zabini. The girl was far worse than he was. She disliked half of the people in their own house because they didn't exhibit what she considered good Slytherin behavior. He'd seen her berate first years into tears last year. If she saw him with this klutzy Gryffindor, he'd never hear the end of it, even if he _was_ only doing this on his father's orders. Before Perdita and Blaise saw each other, he steered them down a side hall.

  


He'd make friends with her, but that didn't mean he wanted to be seen with her. Especially not by the True Slytherin Behavior Maniac.

*********

Ginny hadn't seen Perdita at all after dinner, and was starting to worry about where she might have gone. Perdita still didn't know her way around the school very well; could she have gotten lost? Neville said he had seen her heading for the library after dinner. In an attempt to take her mind off things, Ginny went to her dorm and started working on some Transfiguration she'd been putting off. She wasn't sure how long she'd been working on it when she heard the door open. She looked up to see that it was Perdita.

  


"Hey." she smiled. "I was wondering where you'd disappeared to after dinner."

  


"I was meeting someone." Perdita replied, sitting down on her bed, which was next to Ginny's. "I met 'im when I was returning my books to the library today."

  


"Oh?" Ginny asked, curious. Perdita was meeting a boy? That was a heck of a lot more interesting than some dumb Transfiguration assignment. "What's his name?"

  


"Draco Malfoy." she said. She tucked the bag that Draco had repaired for her into her trunk and kicked her shoes off.

  


"Draco Malfoy?" Ginny repeated, surprised. She was meeting Malfoy? Why would he do that? He hated Gryffindors. Something didn't sound right, she thought. "Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin?"

  


"Oui." Perdita answered. " 'e 'elped me carry my books up to the Library earlier, and offered to fix my bag tonight. 'e was very nice too."

  


Nice? Malfoy and nice were two words Ginny had never thought she'd hear in the same sentence. What was he up to, being nice to Perdita? He was never nice to anyone, not even his fellow Slytherins. Perdita must have noticed the frown forming on her face, because she looked away, as though she were ashamed of something.

  


"Dita, are you sure you can trust Malfoy?" Ginny asked at last. "He's not the nicest person in the world."

  


" 'e was very nice when I was around 'im." Perdita replied quietly. She didn't want to argue with Ginny. Ginny was the only real friend she had. 

  


Ginny sighed silently. Perdita can decide who her friends are for herself, she thought. Its her decision. She had no right to tell Perdita who she could and couldn't hang out with. She certainly wouldn't stop being friends with her because of it though. She'd be no better than Ron, Harry, and Hermione if she did.

  


"I'm glad you got on his good side." Ginny said, trying to sound genuinely happy for her, though she was still suspicious of Malfoy's motives. "And I'm glad you're making more friends too."

  


"Thanks, Ginny." Perdita said, smiling.

  


"Any time. Just because he and I don't get along doesn't mean you and him can't." she said. Just so long as I don't have to be around him, Ginny thought. She thought about asking Ron to keep an eye on Malfoy, then remembered she wasn't talking to him as long as he, Harry, and Hermione were giving Perdita the cold shoulder. Maybe she'd ask Neville instead. He had the same classes with Malfoy, and she wanted someone to watch him. She had a sneaky suspicion he was up to something, and if it had to do with her friend, she wanted to know about it. She wasn't going to let Malfoy hurt Perdita, after all she'd been through.

  


  



	7. Breaking Point

A/N- I'm not dead, honest!  I just keep forgetting how long its been since I updated.  Anywho, in this chapter, Harry and Ron finally take things a little too far, and Hermione is forced to choose sides.  Ginny finally chews Ron and Harry out, and Perdita spends some more time with Draco.  Sirius and Remus make a brief appearance too!  Hope everyone enjoys it!  And now, the messages:

Bobo Blankrune- Draco is never up to anything good.  And, knowing him, it'll only get worse with time.  Of course, I know _how bad, cuz I wrote it, mwahaha. _

Paige- You're welcome!  Malfoy is more fun as a git.  If everyone was a good person, the stories would be boring.  Evil is more fun.  None of those annoying morals to get in the way. 

Vereniel Greenleaf- As long as I still have loyal people reviewing I'm happy.  I've put too much into this story to stop anyway, so you're pretty much guarateed more, its just a question of when... 

Alynna Lis Eachann- Okay, I know this wasn't "soon", but there is more now!  The plot thickens even more, and we're not even halfway through the story yet. 

Sabrina Potter- Hehe, don't worry, I'll have more Zabini later on.  Lots more Draco in this chapter, of course.  Manipulative little ::trails off into an anti-Draco rant:: Okay, I'm better now.  And you _know_ I had to include my Nevie somehow! 

harryforeva- Ginny does remember Pettigrew, she just doesn't think it's a good reason to dislike Perdita, like the Trio is doing.

okay, but why doesn't Ginny remember Pettigrew? I think Ginny should remember soon, cause she does like Harry and knows everything about his past. 

Ayla Lupin- Now, why would anyone feel sorry for Draco?  Even if he is nice inside, he still acts like a prat.  But don't worry, I'm not making Draco the typical abused child/my life's goal is to be a Death Eater character that he usually is in fan fics.  He's just a git, plain and simple.  A self-absorbed git :)  He has an ulterior motive for being nice to Perdita anyway, as we've seen.

**************

"I am _so_ glad it's the weekend." Ron sighed.  Their last class of the day had finally ended, and they were all utterly exhausted.

"Speak for yourself, Ron." Harry laughed. "I still have a Quidditch game."

"Oh yeah, against Slytherin." Ron grinned. "Make sure you pound Malfoy."

"_Ron_." Hermione sighed. "Honestly, can't you be a bit more mature?"

"Ron?  Mature?" Harry laughed.  Ron rolled his eyes, but laughed along with them.

"Hey, guys." Ginny grinned, coming through the Portrait Hole. "What's so funny?"

"Hermione suggested that Ron be mature." Harry replied.  Ginny giggled.

" 'ello Ginny, 'ello everyone." Perdita grinned, walking in behind Ginny.  The smiles on Ron, Harry, and Hermione's faces abruptly vanished.

"Hello, Perdita." Harry said coldly.  Perdita's face fell, and she looked like she was fighting back tears.

"Something you wanted?" Ron asked, in the tone he usually reserved for Malfoy.  Perdita looked quickly at Ginny, who looked back helplessly while casting the boys furious looks.

" 'arry." Perdita said softly. "We got along great at Gammy's.  I thought we were friends."

"You thought wrong." he muttered, but she couldn't hear him.  She took a few steps towards them, looking confused at the cold looks on their faces.

"What is it about me that you 'ate so much?" she asked quietly, biting her lip.  "What did I ever do to you?"

            She didn't wait for an answer, however.  She just turned and ran back out of the Portrait Hole as her tears began to fall.  Ginny, instead of going after her friend to comfort her, rounded on Harry and Ron, all of her fury towards them pouring out now.

"That was _completely_ uncalled for!  How can you do that to her?" she asked angrily. "She's never done anything to you!  Why are you so cruel?"

"She deserves it.  She's a Pettigrew." Ron snapped.

"I don't care if you hate her father, nothing gives you the right to treat _anyone_ like that!"

"Ginny, you _know_ what her father did." Hermione said, though she silently agreed with Ginny.  She felt horrible about treating Perdita that way, even though she hadn't done anything.  And now she was torn between her best friends and Ginny, whom she _knew_ was right.  This isn't right, Hermione thought.  Its not Perdita's fault, we shouldn't be punishing her for something she doesn't even know about.  But I don't want Ron and Harry mad at me either...she hated it when they weren't speaking to her.

"Her father is a backstabbing, murderous Death Eater." Ron snapped at both of them.

"But she doesn't know that!" Ginny hissed.  She whipped around and looked at Harry. "And you too!  I would have thought _you of all people would at least be a bit sympathetic towards her."_

"Me?  Why me?" he asked blankly.

"Because your parents were murdered, just like her mother.  You hating her because of her father is no different than Snape hating _you_ for _your_ father." she said hotly. "All of you are so horrible to her for something she can't control.  She's had a hard enough time lately, trying to fit in to a completely new school, without you making it worse for her."

"So what?  Because she can't help it, and she's new, we're automatically supposed to like her?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"I never said you had to be best friends, but you never even gave her a chance.  The only reason you started hating her is because you found out who her father is." Ginny said, "Her last name is not a reason to hate her."

"Seems like a perfect reason to me." Ron told her, too stubborn to admit that his sister was right.

"That's because you're a moron." Ginny snapped at him. "And if you hate her for something like that, then you're no better than Malfoy."

"Hey!" Ron cried indignantly.  How _dare_ she compare him to that scum Malfoy?

"She's right, Ron." Hermione broke in suddenly.  She had had enough, and couldn't stand by silently anymore.  Yes, Harry and Ron were her best friends, but Ginny was right.  Perdita hadn't done anything to deserve being treated that way.  Hermione knew exactly how she felt too.  It was just like when Malfoy called her a Mudblood, and insulted her for something she had no control over.  It was wrong. "You two have been treating her horribly."

"You haven't exactly been friendly yourself." Ron pointed out.

"I haven't gone out of my way to talk to her." Hermione admitted. "But you two have been treating her like she's the scum of the Earth.  Harry, you said so yourself that she seemed really sweet when you met her at Mrs. Figg's."

"Hermione, look what her father di-" Ron began, but she cut him off.

"Yes, what her _father_ did.  Not what _she did." Hermione said. "We've been treating her the same way Malfoy treats me!"_

            Harry and Ron both stared at Hermione in surprise.  They hadn't seen her get this worked up since she had started S.P.E.W.  Hermione didn't wait for them to find their voices again.  She had made her decision, and she would stick with it, even if Ron and Hrry stopped speaking to her for it.  She turned to Ginny, a determined look on her face.

"Come on, Ginny." she said. "Let's go see if Perdita is okay."

***********

            Perdita ran down the emtpy hall as she fled the Gryffindor Common Room, finally sinking to the floor behind a suit of armor.  There, she curled up in the shadows, drawing her knees to her chest, and began to cry.  All of the grief she felt over losing her mother, of having to start a new school, of failing most of her classes, and most of all, Harry, Ron, and Hermione being so cold towards her, all of it came pouring out at once.  She sobbed uncontrollably, huddled in the tiny space, not caring who, if anyone, heard her.  She wasn't sure how long she had been there before she heard a familiar voice.

"Perdita?" Draco asked, looking around the suit of armor at her.  He had been walking down the hall when he heard someone crying.  His path happened to take him by where she was crying.  She could dimly see him through her tears.  He looked concerned.

"What's wrong, Dita?" he asked gently.  Just act like you care, he told himself.  Act like you want to know why she's crying.  That's what a friend would do.  To his surprise, he realized he actually _did_ want to know why she was crying.  What could have gotten her so upset that she would be crying in the middle of the hallway like this?

"Everything." she whimpered, burying her face back against her knees.  Draco crawled back and put his arm across her shoulders.

"Shh, its okay." he said gently. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Everything is wrong." Perdita said, still crying very hard. "Not a thing 'as gone right since I came 'ere."

"What do you mean?" he asked, craning his head down, trying to catch her eye.

"I am failing nearly every class." Perdita said. "I am always getting lost in the 'alls.  _'arry et Ron me deteste.  Je jamais n'importe quoi à les."_

"What was that last part?" Draco asked.  She finally looked up at him as he gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, the last bit was in French."

"_Je suis désolé_." Perdita said softly. "I said, 'arry and Ron 'ate me, and I never did anything to them."

"Potter and Weasley hate you?" he asked in surprise.  She was a Gryffindor.  He thought it was required by law that all Gryffindors get along.  Well, except for the Creevey boy, but Draco didn't really believe that kid was even human anyway.  Perdita nodded, wiping away a few more tears that were escaping her eyes.

"They are never nice to me." she said, closing her eyes to fight back a fresh wave of tears. "No matter what I do, they either ignore me, or they are cold to me.  'arry was nice to me during the summer, but after we got 'ere, 'e changed."

"You met Potter during the summer?" Draco asked, surprised again.  Perdita nodded.

"My grandmother lives near 'im.  'is aunt and uncle sent 'im to spend the day at 'er 'ouse, while I was there." Perdita explained.  More tears started forming.

"I'm sorry." Draco said, putting his arm back around her.  Perdita allowed him to pull her closer as she cried.  She rested her head against his shoulder, more tears rolling down her face.  

            Draco stared off a bit, thinking as Perdita cried.  Why was Potter mean to her?  She was one of the nicest people he had ever met.  She actually seemed to care about him.  Perdita had said that Potter had been friendly to her during the summer, but once they arrived at Hogwarts, he had changed...what could make him change suddenly?  And what reason could he possibly have to dislike Perdita?

            To Draco's amazement, he found himself feeling sorry for Perdita.  She had started a new school in a completely different country.  She had come here with no friends, knowing almost nobody.  It was no wonder she seemed so miserable.  Now, Potter and Weasley were giving her problems.  It was bad enough Potter walked around like he owned the place, but picking on someone who had never done anything to him!

            Where did that come from, he wondered.  He was actually getting angry at Potter on Perdita's behalf.  He wanted to hunt Potter down and make him sorry for making Perdita cry. That's not supposed to happen, he thought.  The only reason I hang around her is because I'm supposed to gain her confidence, he reminded himself, so we can use her, if necessary, to remind her relative of where his loyalties should be.  Draco looked down at Perdita and saw that she was still crying.

"Hey, its okay." Draco said.  He reached down and gently nudged her chin up so that she was looking at him. "Don't worry about Potter.  If he's going to be mean to you for no reason, ignore him.  Trust me, he's not worth it."

            Perdita smiled slightly.  It really did make her feel better to hear him say that.  She looks so sad and alone, Draco thought, staring down at her.  He really did want to make her feel better.  After a few seconds of silence, Draco leaned down and hugged her.  He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, which was rather difficult as they were both still lodged behind the suit of armor.  Perdita rested her head against his shoulder as he held her close.

"_Merci_, Draco." Perdita said softly, hugging him back.

"No problem, Dita." he replied.  Finally, he pulled away from her. "Want to go for a walk around the lake?  It might make you feel better."

"I already feel better." Perdita admitted. "But yes, a walk sounds like it will cheer me up even more."

"All right then." Draco smiled.  He managed to get out from behind the suit of armor, then offered his hand to help Perdita up as well.  She smiled gratefully, allowing him to help her up.  He put his arm around her shoulders as he led her down towards the front doors.

            Ginny and Hermione, who had been searching for Perdita, saw her walk across the hall up ahead of them.  They were about to call to her, when they saw that Draco was with her.  Both girls stopped in their tracks.  Draco and Perdita didn't see them, because Draco was still talking to her, and Perdita was staring down at the ground as they walked.

"What's _he_ doing with Perdita?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"She's friends with him." Ginny answered.

"Malfoy?  She's _friends with Malfoy?" Hermione repeated, shocked._

"I know.  Unbelievable, huh?" Ginny said, knowing exactly how Hermione felt. "She says he's very nice to her."

"I don't believe it." Hermione said dubiously.

"I don't either." Ginny sighed. "But according to her, he's a nice guy."

"He's up to something." Hermione said suspiciously. "Why would he be nice to her?  He hates all Gryffindors."

"I don't know." Ginny said. "But Perdita is allowed to choose her own friends.  She already knows I can't stand him."

"She does?" Hermione asked.  Ginny nodded. "And she still hangs around him?"

"She just doesn't hang around us both at the same time." Ginny explained. "He's certainly been treating her nicer than Harry and Ron have been.  Which makes me even _more suspicious, because he isn't nice to anyone."_

"They're both stubborn gits." Hermione said. "They're my best friends, but they're letting their hatred for Wormtail override their common sense."

"Trust me, Ron doesn't _have_ common sense."  Ginny told her.  Hermione laughed a bit.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to wait until dinner to speak to her." Hermione said at last. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"Of course she will." Ginny said confidently. "She gets along with everyone.  She even has Malfoy acting almost human around her."

*******

"Don't let Weasley and Potter get you down." Draco told Perdita as they started their walk around the lake. "Trust me, they aren't worth it.  They're both idiots."

"I just do not understand why they act like this." Perdita said. "Why would they be mean to me?  I am not mean to them."

"Well, Weasley isn't exactly the brightest sickle in Gringotts." Draco said. "And Potter is a speccy git.  He gets away with anything he likes."

"You don't like Ron, 'ermione, or 'arry, do you?" Perdita asked after a long silence.

"Well...no." he admitted.

" 'ow come?  If you do not mind my asking."

"Well, Weasley's dad is a Muggle lover, Granger's a Mu-Know-It-All, and Potter refused my offer of friendship back in first year." he replied.  

            He had to remind himself not to use the word Mudblood around Perdita.  Her mother, she had told him, had been Muggleborn, and using the word Mudblood around her would almost certainly set her off.  That would ruin any chances he had of keeping her trust, as well as ruining his father's plans to use her.  They'd have a problem using her to get to Potter, however, he realized.  If he hated her, as Perdita claimed, how could they use her to get information about him?  Perhaps, once he had gained her trust enough, he could get her to do the same with Potter...Perdita's voice broke in on his thoughts, however, drawing him back to reality.

"Oh." Perdita said softly. "That is it?"

"Well...yeah." he said, suddenly feeling a bit strange.  Now that he'd told her, it didn't sound like much of a reason to him either...oh, what did _she know?  She was just a klutzy, idiotic Gryffindor._

"And you do not think that is a bit...shallow?" she asked. "I mean, it is not the best reason in the world to 'ate someone.  Not that there _is a good reason to 'ate someone."_

"Don't _you_ hate them?" Draco asked, looking down at her. "I mean, they've been acting horrible towards you.  If anyone should hate them, its you."

"No, I do not 'ate them." Perdita said, after a moment of thought. "They 'ave not given me a reason to 'ate them."

"Ignoring you and making you cry isn't a reason?"

"Lots of people ignore me." Perdita shrugged quietly. "Even at Beauxbatons they did.  I can not just 'ate someone because they do not listen to me, or because they do not like me."

"Now, how could anyone not like you?" he grinned.  This faking friendship thing was getting easier.

"I don't know.  I'm so shy, I guess they don't even notice I'm there." she replied. 

"Their loss." Draco told her, finally drawing another smile out of her.

"Thanks." she said softly.

            They fell silent again, continuing to walk around the lake.  They were the only ones out there.  It was very peaceful, with just the waves lapping against the shore to break the silence that had fallen.  Draco glanced out of the corner of his eye at her.  She looked much calmer than she had before.  Still a bit upset, but not nearly as much as before.

"You okay now?" he asked.  She nodded slightly.  

            A question kept nagging in the back of Draco's mind.  He still hadn't found out why she had transferred to Hogwarts in the first place.  She mentioned her grandmother quite a bit.  What about her parents, he wondered.  Why didn't she ever mention them?  Did she trust him enough now to tell him?  Only one way to find out, he thought.

"Perdita?" he asked, breaking the silence once again.  Be polite, he told himself.  Try to sound like you care.  Why should she trust you if she doesn't think you care?

"Hmm?" she asked, coming out of her thoughts.

"If...you don't mind my asking, why did you transfer here?" he asked. "I mean, there was a reason, wasn't there...?"

            Perdita bit her lip, slightly hesitant.  She had told Ginny about her mother, but she hadn't told Draco yet.  It was still hard to talk about, and she didn't want to tell him outright.  It would have seemed like she was running around trying to get pity for it, and she wasn't.  Still, she thought, she was around Draco almost as much as she was Ginny.  She trusted him, even if Ginny didn't seem to.  He was nice to her.  He was her friend too.

"My mother died." she said, in barely more than a whisper.  Draco barely kept his mouth from dropping open in shock.

"Your..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say. "God, I'm sorry, Perdita.  I didn't..."

"Its not your fault." she said, wiping away the tears that were starting to form again.

"What about your dad?" he asked tentatively. "Do you live with him now?"

"My dad died before I was even born." she told him, shaking her head. " 'e was trying to stop Sirius Black."

"Sirius Black..." Draco trailed off in sudden realization. "Your dad was _Peter_ Pettigrew?"

"_Oui_." she replied, wiping away more tears. "I was sent to live 'ere, because this is where my grandmother lives.  She lived in a Muggle neighborhood, near where 'arry lives.  That is 'ow I met 'im during the summer."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Draco apologized, not even realizing that he felt genuinely sorry for her. "It was none of my business."

"Don't be sorry, you couldn't 'ave known." she said quietly.  Like before, Draco started to feel like he wanted to help her, but he didn't know how.

"Well..." he began at last. "I really hope things get better for you here.  If nothing else, you have me to talk to."

"Thank you, Draco." she said softly, hugging him suddenly.  

            Draco's initial reaction was to pull away.  He might be a lot of things, but touchy-feely was not one of them.  He glanced around quickly over the top of Perdita's head.  Good.  No one was around.  That was all he needed, someone finding out he was letting a _Gryffindor_ girl hug him.  That one would spread like wildfire through the school.  It was easier pretending he liked her when no one was around.  He didn't have to worry about being seen.  Feeling suddenly awkward, Draco put his arms around her, patting her on the back.

"It'll be okay," he said. "Just think, things can only get better from here on."

            Draco blinked silently, thinking hard as a thought suddenly struck him.  What relative could she _possibly have that was a Death Eater, he wondered.  Her parents were both dead...only her grandmother was still alive, it sounded like, and Draco's father had never mentioned a Death Eater that lived near Potter.  No self-respecting Death Eater would live in a Muggle neighborhood anyway.  The only person he had ever heard of with the name Pettigrew had been the Pureblood murdered by Sirius Black, just after Voldemort's first downfall.  Her father, he reminded himself.  He knew from experience, however, just how far some Pureblood families extended.  Well, he thought, this mystery Death Eater she was related to probably had a different last name or something.  Perhaps she was related to them through her mother's side.  Just because they had different last names didn't mean they weren't related.  Still, something didn't make sense here...if she had a relative who was a Death Eater, why didn't she know about it?  If Perdita didn't realize she had another family member still alive, outside of her grandmother, how did the Dark Lord plan to use Perdita to keep the Death Eater loyal?_

            Its not your place to question his motives of plans, Draco told himself.  He could only imagine how that would go.  Hey Dad, I think the Dark Lord's plan is flawed and doomed to failure.  Draco shuddered at the thought of how that might turn out.  Just keep going along with it, he thought.  If it fails, its not my fault.  I'm just doing as I was told.  Besides, as an added bonus, he was completely fooling Perdita.  She was so clueless.

"Are you okay, Draco?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, why?" he asked quickly.

"You shuddered." she said.  Draco thought quickly.

"Its just a bit cold out here, that's all." he lied.

"Oh." she said, believing him. "Why don't we go back inside then.  It should be almost dinner time by now."

"Good idea." Draco agreed, trying to convince himself that he _hadn't_ felt bad about lying to her just now.  That would mean he cared the tiniest bit about her, and that _certainly_ wasn't true.

***************

"That went well." Sirius said sarcastically, collapsing onto the couch in Remus' living room.  They had just been to break the news to Arabella.  It had taken a long time to explain everything to her, about Sirius being innocent all along, and Peter being the real traitor.  Things had gone downhill rapidly.  Especially when Arabella had told them her own bad news.

"What did you expect, Sirius?" Remus asked. "She just found out her son-in-law was a Death Eater, and a traitor.  Of _course_ she's going to go ballistic."

"I still can't believe it." Sirius sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I can't believe Kassia is dead.  It doesn't seem real."

"I know." Remus agreed. "Because of Death Eaters, no less."

"Damn them all." Sirius swore, but it lacked the usual hatred.  It was more of a defeated reflex. "Damn the bastards that killed her, and damn Peter for letting them."

"There's no guarantee he even knew about it." Remus pointed out. "I can't bring myself to believe he would have let her die."

"But he was all too happy to hand over James and Lily!" Sirius spat.  Remus sighed patiently.  He was used to Sirius' bouts of temper.

"Come on, Moony." Sirius said. "If he could have betrayed James and Lily, he could have let Ka-"

"No." Remus interrupted, not even letting Sirius finish. "I can accept that he was a traitor, and a Death Eater.  Hell, I could even accept that he was secretly a ballerina.  But I _won't accept that he may have had something to do with Kassia dying."_

"He was in league with Voldemort." Sirius pointed out. 

"That doesn't mean he had anything to do with her dying." Remus said, getting back to his feet.

"Remus." Sirius began, following him. "Look, obviously we didn't know him as well as we thought, if he could have done something like that.  You said yourself that even Kassia probably didn't know he was a Death Eater.  If he could pretend to be on our side, couldn't he have pretended to love her?"

"I'll grant that there's probably a lot we never knew about him.  He was a good actor; that's obvious." Remus conceded. "But I will _not_ believe that he would have let Kassia be murdered.  It was obvious how much he loved her, all through school.  You can't fake that kind of love.  He wouldn't have orphaned his own daughter."

"Rem-"

"Shh!" Remus hissed suddenly, glancing over his shoulder suddenly, out the darkened window nearby.  A look of confusion crossed Sirius' face, but it went unseen by Remus.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, unconsciously lowering his voice.

"I heard something outside.  A pop...like someone Apparating." Remus said, looking tense. "Transform, _now_."

"If there's someone out there, I can you help better if I'm in human form." Sirius said, instinctively knowing something dangerous was about to happen.

"Whoever it is, they can't know you're hiding here." Remus hissed at him. "Do it!"

            Sirius knew it was no use arguing with Remus when he used that tone of voice, and reluctantly gave in.  Just then, the front door exploded into splinters, and three black clad figures stepped inside.

_Bloody Death Eaters_, Remus thought as he moved to defend himself.


	8. The Nightmare Continues

A/N- Good Lord, has it really been this long since I updated? Sorry everyone, I didn't mean to leave it this long, honest! For anyone who reads my other stoy, Listen With Your Heart, I'm sorry to say I won't be continuing it. I have a severe lack of inspiration for it, and its too difficult for me to try and write two fan fics at once, in between all the other projects I have in the works. Hopefully if I just concentrate on Nil Desperandum, I'll be able to update more often. But for now, on to the messages.

  


susan "bunnie" russ- Okay, I promise not to kill Remus. Maim possibly, but not kill ;) Unfortunately, I can't get rid of Malfoy as easily, he's too involved in the plot.

Paige- Hehe, you know you love the cliffies! They make things more interesting.

greeneyed*redhead- Thanks! There's even more Draco/Dita stuff in this, with a little Pansy thrown in to disrupt everything. As for Sirius and Remus, you'll just have to wait and see.

Vereniel Greenleaf- Yup, Draco is questioning, but he's at least smart enough not to voice those doubts.

Alynna Lis Eachann- Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Hope you like this chapter jsut as much (now that I've finally updated)

Sabrina Potter- Hey, no killing the main charecters, that's my job! You know you'd miss the cliffies if they were gone ;)

_***_

_Darkness hid most of the scene from view, but what was visible was more than frightening enough to qualify as a nightmare. A huge snake slithered around the floor, which looked stained with blood, circling a pale man in a black cloak. Red eyes, the only color on his face, gleamed maliciously at the darkness which surrounded him. The snake gave a low hiss, continuing its wanderings around the floor, its tongue flicking out to taste the air. It was as moist and oppressive as everything else about the scene. _

  


_"Patience, Nagini." the man said in a high cold voice that chilled the bones. "He will come. Or else."_

  


_A 'pop' of someone Apparating was the only sound that disturbed the stillness of the scene. _

  


_"You called, my lord?" said the figure who just appeared, bowing. He was masked, but cold grey eyes were just visible through the slits._

  


_"Have my Death Eaters been sent to capture Black yet?" he asked without preamble._

  


_"Yes, my lord." The man drawled. "They have just started to attack."_

  


_"Good." Voldemort sneered. "I trust they are amply prepared to deal with the werewolf as well?"_

  


_"Yes." Lucius Malfoy replied. "Pettigrew is with them. That hand of his shall come in handy."_

  


_"Good. Wormtail just might redeem himself for his blundering in France." Voldemort mused. "At least his stupidity didn't lose me the Maderia wing skin you were sent to find. He would have paid dearly if that had been the case."_

  


_"Yes, my lord." Malfoy replied bowing. "We were fortunate enough to be able to salvage the situation."_

  


_"Yes, with your quick thinking to have the woman killed." Voldemort said with a smirk, knowing perfectly well that Malfoy was only trying to promote his worth in the eyes of his lord._

  


_"Pettigrew won't fail us again." Malfoy said. "Our 'insurance' at Hogwarts will make sure of that."_

  


_"Good." Voldemort said simply. "He may be useful to me for now, but he is still just a traitor, and I don't trust traitors. Especially not ones I create myself. They have already proven they are easy to manipulate."_

  


_He was silent a moment, staring into the blackness of the night, thinking._

  


_"Go back and make sure Wormtail doesn't foul things up again." Voldemort ordered. "Kill them both if necessary, but keep them from getting away."_

  


_"Yes, my lord." Malfoy bowed deeply, and with another 'pop' he Disapparated._

  


Harry awoke with a start in his bed, looking around frantically. A moment earlier, he had been standing in the cold night air, watching and listening to Voldemort ordering Malfoy around. It had been so real, far more real than any dream should be. Snores sounding from all sides told him that his roommates were still sleeping peacefully. He wished he could do that; to sleep without having to worry that he would be visited by nightmares. Harry pulled his knees up, resting his chin on them and pressing his palms against his eyes, straining to remember the details of the nightmare.

  


They had been talking about Death Eaters, he could remember. They had been sent to do something. Attack someone. But who? Harry squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, trying to bring back the details through sheer will. It was like trying to hold on to a handful of said. The harder he tried, the more the details slipped away. Pettigrew had been mentioned, and in insurance at Hogwarts, but what did that mean? Did they have a spy in Hogwarts? If so, who? And who had the Death Eaters been sent to attack?

  


Finally giving up any notion of trying to sleep again, Harry climbed out of bed, dressed, and headed down to the Common Room. Maybe if he didn't think about the nightmare so hard, the details would come back. Sitting by the fire sometimes helped to clear his head. To his surprise, someone was already sitting there. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was barely six. Why would anyone else be up this early?

  


"Ginny?" he asked, moving closer. She gave a small jump of surprise and turned to see who had spoken.

  


"Oh, Harry, its you." she said, calming down. "You scared me. I didn't expect anyone else to be up this early."

  


"I couldn't sleep." Harry said, joining her by the fire. "What about you?"

  


"I'm always up this early." she told him. "With six brothers in the house, being up this early is pretty much the only time I can be awake and have peace and quiet too. They couldn't get up this early if their life depended on it."

  


"I know. I've had to get Ron up for class." Harry laughed.

  


"I believe it." Ginny laughed also. They lapsed into a long silence before a new set of footsteps began to approach. Turning, they saw Hermione appear from the staircase.

  


Both Ron and Harry knew that she was on speaking terms with Perdita now. Harry had been angry at first, but had lately taken to pretending the whole fight between him, Ron, and Ginny had never happened, and that Hermione had not told them off. Ron was barely speaking to Hermione now, acting as though she had performed some heinous act of treachery by speaking to Perdita. Of course, Hermione comparing Ron to Malfoy hadn't helped things at all.

  


"Early risers anonymous meeting?" she joked.

  


"Something like that." Ginny smiled. Hermione joined them by the fire.

  


"I thought I was the only one who ever woke up this early." she said.

  


"Nope, I'm always up early." Ginny said. "Harry here just couldn't sleep."

  


"You couldn't?" Hermione asked. Harry saw the familiar look of worry cross her face. "Why not?"

  


"I just had a bad dream." Harry shrugged, trying to make it sound like no big deal.

  


"About what?" Hermione persisted. Harry sighed. He knew her far too well to hope that she would leave well enough alone.

  


"It was about Voldemort." he said. Both girls flinched at the name, but said nothing to interrupt him. "He was talking to Malfoy's dad, about something the Death Eaters had been sent to do, but I can't remember what. They were attacking someone."

  


"Attacking someone?" Hermione repeated in a scared voice. "Who?"

  


"I can't remember." Harry said. "The details aren't clear anymore. I remember Wormtail was mentioned."

  


Both girls were still at the mention of Perdita's father. Neither really wanted to pursue that line of questioning, which would undoubtedly bring them around to how Harry treated Perdita. Harry stared into the fire in silence, trying in vain to remember who the Death Eaters had been sent after. It frustrated him to no end. He clearly remembered the word redemption, though. Wormtail had ruined one of Voldemort's plans, and he was making up for it now. But what had he done?

  


"Was it like the other dreams you've had before?" Hermione asked after a long silence. "When you've had glimpses of what You-Know-Who has been planning?"

  


"That's exactly what it felt like." Harry said quietly. "Someone is being attacked, maybe as we speak, and I don't know who."

  


"Harry, even if you knew...what could you do?" Hermione said tentatively. "If they've already started attacking this person-"

  


"I could tell Dumbledore." Harry interrupted her. "He'd know what to do."

  


"But even so, you'd probably be too late to save whoever it is." Hermione pointed out.

  


"So you're saying its not important?" he asked accusingly.

  


"Of course she isn't." Ginny broke in. "But she's right. There's nothing you can do now, and you'll only give yourself a headache trying to remember."

  


Harry looked at them both for a moment, angry and frustrated, but he wasn't sure whether it was directed at them or himself. Finally, he sighed and looked back at the fire.

  


"Its just frustrating." he mumbled.

  


"We know, Harry." Hermione said sympathetically. "But you aren't alone in all this."

  


"That's right. You have us, and that idiot brother of mine." Ginny added. Harry finally managed a laugh. Footsteps again interrupted them, and all three turned to see Perdita come down the stairs.

  


" 'ello 'ermione, Ginny." she smiled, but it abruptly faded when she saw Harry. He wasn't glaring at her, or even looking at her at all now, but she still felt that he didn't want her around. Hermione bit her lip, seeing the abrupt change in Perdita. She really wasn't bad at all, once you got to know her. A little quiet maybe, but there was nothing wrong with that.

  


"I'll see you down at breakfast." Perdita said softly, heading towards the Portrait Hole.

  


"Perdita, wait." Hermione said, after a moment of indecision. Perdita paused, looking apprehensive. Hermione got to her feet, going to join Perdita. "I'll go down with you."

  


"Thank you, 'ermione." Perdita said, trying to smile a little.

  


Harry watched Hermione leave with Perdita. Hermione threw him a glance as they left, but it was impossible to tell whether she was angry with him or not. Her expression was completely neutral, but he felt badly nonetheless. Her words from the argument they'd had still echoed in his head. "We've been treating her the same way Malfoy treats me." He wasn't treating her _that_ badly, was he? All he was doing was trying not to be around her. He wasn't calling her horrible names or going out of his way to be mean to her. He didn't know what to think anymore. She seemed nice enough, but he'd also heard from Hermione that she was hanging around Malfoy. If she liked Malfoy, how nice could she really be?

  


"You are such a prat, Harry." Ginny said exasperatedly, getting to her feet as the Portrait Hole swung closed. Harry blinked at her in surprise, wondering where _that_ had come from.

  


"What are you talking about?" he asked, standing up also.

  


"After all the times I've heard you ranting about how Snape is unfair to you, or how horrible Malfoy is, you turn right around and act almost the same way towards Perdita." she snapped.

  


"I didn't say a word to her!" he protested.

  


"You didn't need to." she said. "Did you know that she's afraid to be around you now?"

  


"She's what?" Harry asked blankly. He couldn't imagine anyone being afraid of him. He didn't think he had given her reason to be afraid anyway. All he had done was ignore her.

  


"She's afraid of setting you and Ron off. She knows perfectly well that you two don't like her, though she hasn't the faintest clue why." Ginny replied. "All she knows is that you were nice to her during the summer, but once you got here, everything changed. She doesn't want to be around you because she's afraid you might do something even worse than ignore her."

  


"I wouldn't hurt her. Just because I don't want to talk to her doesn't mean I'd curse her or anything if she stayed in the room with me for too long."

  


"Well, she certainly seems to think that's the case." she retorted.

  


"Malfoy's probably been filling her head with lies about me." Harry muttered.

  


"This has nothing to do with Malfoy." Ginny cut him off. "But since you brought him up, is it any surprise she hangs around him? After all, its natural to want to make friends, especially in a new school, and he's one of the few people who has given her a chance. To be honest, he treats her a lot better than you do."

  


"Its not my fault she hasn't made friends. I'm not stopping anyone else from talking to her." Harry said. This was true. He hadn't done anything to stop Hermione from being around her, just so long as he didn't have to also.

  


"Nobody else will talk to her _because_ you won't." Ginny said, as though this should have been obvious to him. "It's a good thing Colin and Neville started making friends with her before your little cold shoulder routine started up, or they probably wouldn't have given her a chance either."

  


"What are you talking about?"

  


"Harry, wake up." Ginny sighed, exasperated. "People look up to you. They follow your example, and if you don't like someone, chances are they're going to go along with it. And before you say it, this isn't all about you being famous for stopping You-Know-Who as a baby."

  


Harry shut his mouth. He had just been about to say those exact words.

  


"They look up to you for different reasons. You've been saving the school since your first year here. You're a star Seeker. You even won the Tri-Wizard Tournament for Merlin's sake. _That's_ what they notice. You're a leader, whether you try to be or not, and people look up to you. They'll follow your lead, and when its obvious that you don't like someone, they're not going to like them either." Ginny continued. "I don't care if you're friends with her or not anymore. I'm so angry with you and Ron at the moment, I almost don't _want_ you to be friends with her, because quite frankly, she deserves better than that. Anyone does. But what I don't want is you treating her like she's the scum of the Earth just because you don't like her father. That's no reason to hate her."

  


"I never said I hated her." Harry interjected, starting to lose his temper now.

  


"Well, you certainly don't like her. And you said so yourself: you don't like being around her."

  


"You want to know why I hate being around her?" he asked in a sudden flare of anger.

  


"Yes!" Ginny yelled back. "Because its not fair to her!"

  


"Its not fair to me either! I can't even stand to look at her, and do you know why?" Harry asked furiously, going on without waiting for an answer. "Because every time I do, I remember _why_ I don't have parents. Every time I have to talk to her, I think of how her father betrayed my Mum and Dad. I think of all the times I was treated like dirt by my Aunt and Uncle because I was different than them. I think of Sirius suffering in Azkaban for twelve years because he trusted that two-faced slime. I remember how Cedric looked when her father murdered him. All because of Wormtail. No, its not fair to be hated for something you had nothing to do with. But neither is growing up with a family that hates you because your parents were murdered."

  


"If you can see how unfair it is, _why_ do you do it?" Ginny asked. Harry looked at her in silence for a moment. "None of that is her fault."

  


"Because I can't do anything else." he said softly, before leaving the room.

********

After dinner, Draco stood in the Entrance Hall, waiting for Perdita. He'd slipped out of dinner early, not wanting to be seen leaving at the same time as her. He still didn't want anyone knowing he hung around her. That would require more explaining than he wanted to deal with at the moment. At least Perdita seemed to trust him more now, ever since she had confessed the reason why she had transferred to Hogwarts in the first place. To his relief, she seemed to be starting to befriend Granger now too. It wasn't that he really wanted her to hang around the Mudblood, but it made him feel slightly better about the plan his father had laid out. If she was friends with Granger, Weasley and Potter would probably follow her example, given enough time. Those three always stuck together, in a sickening and sad sort of way.

  


"Hello, Draco." said a cool voice from behind him, drawing him out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Pansy smiling at him.

  


"Hello, Pansy." he replied, not exactly eager to talk to her. The longer he talked to her, the harder it was to make her go away. 

  


Pansy was far too annoying for her own good, and the way she had been practically throwing herself at him since third year was just pathetic. She had mistakenly taken his asking her to the Yule Ball as a sign of interest. He'd only asked her because she was the most tolerable girl in Slytherin. It was either that, or go alone, and that certainly wasn't an option. He hoped she would be easy to get rid of this time. He didn't want her around when Perdita showed up. There was also the fact that talking to Pansy for any length of time made him want to gouge his eyes out with his wand. It would be less painful than continuing a conversation with her, he was certain.

  


"I haven't seen you all day." she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

  


"I've been busy." he said shortly. He usually spoke to her in short sentences, not willing to go into much detail around her. She and Millicent Bulstrode were the gossipmongers of Slytherin. Any bit of information they could find was usually a widespread rumor by the next morning, though Draco doubted they were brave enough to spread rumors about him.

  


"Well, if you aren't busy now..." she began, going closer and looking at him in an adoring way that made him tempted to get his wand out and go ahead with the eye gouging.

  


"I am, actually," he replied. "I'm meeting someone."

  


"Who?" she asked, sounding jealous. Bloody brilliant, he thought. Not only had he revealed more than he wanted to to her, now she'd probably try to turn it into the latest rumor at Hogwarts.

  


"None of your business." he said, in a tone that left no doubt that the subject was closed.

  


Unfortunately, Perdita chose that moment to walk out of the Great Hall. If she'd only taken a few more minutes, Draco might have been able to get rid of Pansy without her ever seeing Perdita. Perdita spotted Draco within seconds and walked over to him, as he started trying to think up possible lies to feed Pansy later as to why he was waiting for a Gryffindor. Unable to come up with anything, he was going through a list of possible threats that might scare her into silence instead.

  


" 'ello, Draco." she smiled, then noticed Pansy standing next to him. "Who is this?"

  


Pansy didn't even try to disguise her amusement and disdain for Perdita. So, he was meeting a Gryffindor girl, she thought. Interesting.

  


"Perdita, this is Pansy." Draco said, more to keep up the pretense of liking Perdita than anything else.

  


Gouging his eyes out was starting to sound better and better by the second.

  


"Pleased to meet you." Perdita said politely, holding out her hand. Pansy didn't shake it; she only sneered at Perdita.

  


"I'll see you later, Draco." Pansy said sweetly, walking away without a second glance at Perdita. She was already thinking of a way to turn this into the latest gossip. She knew she had to be careful, however. It wasn't a good idea to provoke Draco too much. It would certainly ruin any chances she had with him to spread gossip about him. Of course, there was always blackmail.

  


Draco glared at the back of Pansy's head as she left, surprised to find himself angry over the way she had acted towards Perdita. Then he reminded himself that he didn't care a bit about Pansy _or_ Perdita. He'd have to do some damage control later, to make sure Pansy didn't go around telling anyone he was friends with a Gryffindor. Of course, he could always resort to a Memory Charm. That would solve the whole problem. He glanced away from Pansy to see that Perdita was watching her leave as well, an apprehensive look on her face.

  


"You'll have to excuse Pansy." he told her, sounding genuinely apologetic. "She has the personality of a basilisk."

  


"Is she a friend of yours?" Perdita asked as she and Draco began to walk down the hallway.

  


"Pansy?" Draco asked with a snort of laughter. "Hardly. She just stalks me."

  


He was pleased to hear her laugh at that, and found that some of the tension he'd felt ever since Pansy had shown up was lessening. Perdita seemed to have that effect on him. It was hard to be angry for long when he was around her. They started heading up a flight of stairs. There wasn't any clear direction that they were taking, they were just walking to have something to do.

  


"What about Crabbe and Goyle?" Perdita asked suddenly.

  


"What about them?"

  


"I see them around you a lot." she shrugged. "Aren't they your friends?"

  


Draco paused, thinking for a moment. He could hardly consider Crabbe and Goyle friends when they had the combined intelligence of a mud pie. If anything, they were more like _really_ dumb House Elves. They did whatever he told them to, without question. He didn't even like them all that much, come to think of it.

  


"I don't really have friends." he said at last. "More like people I can tolerate for long periods of time."

  


"Oh." she said, and they lapsed into silence again. Finally, Perdita asked, "Am I your friend, Draco?"

  


Draco was quiet again, a bit startled. He knew the answer he should give, of course. If he was supposed to be gaining her trust, he had to make her think he was her friend. She was nice enough, and easy to get along with and talk to. She was certainly smarter than Crabbe and Goyle, and less annoying than Pansy (but then, so were leeches). Lately, he'd actually found himself looking forward to when he would see her next. She had a nice sense of humor, and he liked trying to make her laugh. He felt like a completely different person when he was around her.

  


"Yes," he answered her at last. "You're my friend, Dita."

  


"You 'ad to think about it, did you?" she teased, smiling.

  


"I was just trying to remember the definition of a friend." he replied, smirking slightly.

  


"You are very silly, Draco, did you know that?" Perdita laughed.

  


"Yes, I seem to recall you telling me that once or twice." he said.

  


They continued walking through the school, keeping to the areas the other students rarely went to this late at night. Staying around the classrooms ensured that Draco would be seen by fewer people. It was bad enough Pansy already knew he spent time around a Gryffindor.

  


"Well, where should we wander to next?" Draco asked, as they reached the top of another flight of stairs.

  


"I don't know." Perdita shrugged, looking around to see which direction looked more interesting. " 'ow about-whoa!"

  


Perdita cried out, stumbling as the staircase started to change directions. Since she was still standing on the top stair, and was not expecting the sudden movement, she tried but failed to regain her balance. Draco saw everything happening in slow motion. Perdita started to fall, when his Seeker sharpened reflexes kicked in. Not even pausing to think, Draco caught her arm and pulled her onto the landing. He stumbled slightly, falling backwards as he held on to Perdita. She half landed on him on the floor, still surprised that she wasn't falling down the stairs. Draco looked up and found himself staring into her eyes.

  


"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

  


"I think so." she replied. "You saved me."

  


"It was nothing. Really." he said, suddenly feeling awkward. Perdita blushed, suddenly realizing she had landed on top of him. She quickly got up, holding her hand out to help him up.

  


"It wasn't nothing." she told him. "Thank you."

  


"No problem." he smiled down at her. "Now, no more falling down the stairs, okay?"

  


"Okay." she laughed.

  


They picked a random direction and continued on their walk through the hallways in silence. Draco kept playing the events over in his head. Why did I help her, he wondered. I could have fallen too, pulling her back like that. I could have just let her fall instead of putting myself at risk like that.

  


No, I couldn't, he thought. She would have gotten hurt if I hadn't pulled her back. What do you care if she gets hurt, another part of him asked. You're only nice to because you're supposed to be bringing her to the Dark Lord's side. Since when do you care about other people, especially clumsy Gryffindors like her.

  


Well, he thought, if I'm going to get her to join the Dark Lord, she needs to trust me. Saving her from getting hurt would certainly do that. Besides, once I'm given my Dark Mark, and she's initiated too, we'll be on the same side anyway. It doesn't matter if I actually do like being around her or consider her a friend right now, we'll be on the same side eventually. Father already said she has a relative who is a Death Eater and just because she's a Gryffindor doesn't mean she's all good. Look at Sirius Black.

  


Then Draco realized that he had just admitted to himself that he really _did_ consider her a friend. That wasn't supposed to happen, he thought. He was supposed to just make her _think_ he was her friend. But, he reasoned, what was wrong with being friends with her, if he was planning to try to convert her to the Dark side anyway? As long as the goal was still the same, what did it matter what steps he took? He could be friends with her _and_ convert her. 

  


Just so long as the rest of the school didn't find out.

  



End file.
